Or else of a morning its water may sink underground, and you will not find a trace of it."

And his vines were overtaken (with disaster), and he began to wring his hands (at the loss) of what he had spent on them, for the vines had fallen upon their trellises; and he said: "Would to God that I had not associated any one with my Lord."

He had no body to help him other than God, nor was he able to save himself.

The jurisdiction in this province belongs to God. His is the best reward, and His the best requital.

Present to them the example of the life of this world so like the water We send down from the skies that mingles with the earth to nourish its vegetation, which then on the morrow turns to stubble and is blown away by the wind. God has power over everything.

Wealth and children are only the gloss of this world, but good deeds that abide are better with your Lord for recompense, and better for expectation.

The day We shall move the mountains, and you see the earth an open plain, We shall gather them together, leaving none behind.

They will be arraigned before their Lord row on row, (and He will say): "Well, you have come to Us as We had first created you, even though you imagined We had fixed no time for this meeting."

The ledger (of their deeds) would be placed before them. Then you will see the sinners terrified at its contents, and say: "Alas, what a written revelation this, which has not left unaccounted the smallest or the greatest thing!" They will find in it whatsoever they had done. Your Lord does not wrong any one.

When We said to the angels: "Bow before Adam in adoration," they all bowed but Iblis. He was one of the jinni and rebelled against his Lord´s command. And yet you take him and his offspring as your friends instead of Me, even though they are your enemies. How sad a substitute for the evil-doers!

I did not call them to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor their own creation. I would not take as helpers those who lead (men) astray.

The day He will say: "Call those you had called My compeers," they will call them, but will get no response, and We shall place a gulf between them.

The sinners will see the Fire and know that they will be thrown into it and will not find a way of escape from it.

We have explained in various ways all things to men in this Qur´an; but of all things man is most contentious.

There is nothing to prevent men from believing when the guidance has come to them, and asking for their Lord´s forgiveness, unless they want the example of earlier people visited upon them, or the punishment to appear right before their eyes.

We never send apostles but to convey happy tidings, and to warn. But those who disbelieve contend with false arguments to nullify the truth. They make a mockery of My revelations and of what they had been warned.

Who is more unjust than he who, on being reminded of his Lord´s revelations, turns away from them, and forgets the evil deeds he had committed in the past. Verily We have placed a covering on their hearts so that they do not understand, and a deafness in their ears so that however you may call them to guidance they will never be guided aright.

But your Lord is forgiving, full of benevolence. If He had pleased to punish them for their doings He would have punished them immediately. But a term is fixed for them from which they will find no escape.

As for these habitations, We destroyed them only when they transgressed; even so We had fixed a time for their annihilation.

When Moses said to his servant (Joshua): "I will not give up till I reach the confluence of two oceans, or I will journey on and on."

When they reached the confluence they forgot the fish (they had brought as food) which swiftly made its way into the sea.

When they had gone past (the confluence), Moses said to his servant: "Give me my breakfast. I am exhausted from this journey."

He said: "You see, I forgot the fish on the rock where we had stopped. Only Satan made me forget to mention this; but the wonder is the fish escaped to the sea."

Moses said: "But that is exactly what we were seeking." So they retraced their steps.

Then they found one of Our votaries, whom We had blessed and given knowledge from Us.

Moses said to him: "May I attend upon you that you may instruct me in the knowledge you have been taught of the right way?"

He said: "You will not be able to bear with me.

"How can you bear that which is beyond your comprehension?"

"You will find me patient if God wills," said Moses; "and I will not disobey you in any thing."

"If you must follow me," he said, "do not ask me any thing until I speak of it to you myself."

So they set out till they (came to the quay) and went on board a ship in which he made a hole, (and Moses said:) "You have made a hole in the boat to drown its passengers? You have done a strange thing!"

"Did I not tell you," he replied, "that you will not be able to bear with me?"

(Moses) said: "Do not hold me for having forgotten, and do not reprove me and make my task difficult."

The two went on till they came to a boy, whom he killed. Moses exclaimed: "You have killed an innocent soul who had taken no life. You have done a most abominable thing!"

He said: "Did I not tell you you will not be able to bear with me?"

Moses said: "If I ask you any thing again then do not keep me with you. You have my apology."

The two went on till they came upon some villagers, and asked the people for food, but they refused to entertain them. There they found a wall that was crumbling, which he repaired. Moses remarked: "You could have demanded wages for it if you liked."

"This is the parting of our "ways," he said. "But I will now explain the things you could not bear:

That boat belonged to poor people who used to toil on the sea. I damaged it because there was a king after them who used to seize every ship by force.

As for the boy, his parents were believers, but we feared that he would harass them with defiance and disbelief.