They say, 'Why is not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord?' Say, 'The unseen is only God’s; but wait ye for a while, verily, I with you am one of those who wait!'
When we have let men taste of mercy after distress which has touched them, lo! they use a stratagem against our signs! Say, 'God is quicker at stratagem.' Verily, our messengers[1] write down what stratagem ye use.
He it is who makes you travel in the land and sea, until when ye are in the ships—and these carry them[2] afloat with a favouring wind, and they rejoice therein, there comes to them a violent wind, and there comes to them the wave from every place, and they think that they are encompassed about; then they call on God, sincere in religion towards Him, 'If thou dost save from this we will surely be of those who thank.' But when He has saved them, lo! they are wilful in the earth unjustly;—O ye folk! your wilfulness against yourselves is but a provision of this world’s life; then unto us is your return, and we will inform you of that which ye have done!
25 Verily, the likeness of this world’s life is like water which we send down from the sky, and the plants of the earth, from which men and cattle eat, are mingled therewith; until when the earth puts on its gilding and is adorned, the people thereof think that they have power over it. Our order comes to it by night or day, and we make it as it
O 2
