Heretofore We brought to Moses nine evident signs: Ask then the Children of Israel [the story]--when he came unto them, and Pharaoh said unto him, “Verily I consider thee to be bewitched, O Moses.” He said, “Thou knowest that none hath sent these down as proofs but the Lord of the heavens and the earth; and verily I consider thee, O Pharaoh, accursed.” So he sought to drive them out of the land; but we drowned him and those with him, every one. And after this we said to the Children of Israel, “Dwell ye in the land, and when the promise of the life to come befalleth, we will bring you in a troop to judgment.” And in truth have we sent down [the Korān], and in truth came it down, and we have sent thee only to give good tidings and to warn. And the Korān have we divided that thou mayest recite it unto men by degrees; and we have sent it down by [separate] sendings. Say: Believe ye therein or believe ye not;--those verily to whom knowledge hath been given before, when it is told to them, fall down on their faces in adoration, and say, “Extolled be the glory of our Lord! verily the promise of our Lord is accomplished.” And they fall down upon their faces weeping, and it increaseth their humility. Say: Call upon God, or call upon the Merciful, whichever ye call Him by; for His are the goodliest names. And be not loud in thy prayer, nor yet mutter it low; but follow a course between. And Say: Praise be to God who hath not taken a son, and who hath no partner in the Kingdom, and no protector hath He for abasement; and glorify Him gloriously. (xvii.) THE SPEECHES AT MEKKA III. THE ARGUMENTATIVE PERIOD _Aet._ 46-53 A.D. 615-622 THE BELIEVER. _In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful._ H. M. The revelation of the Book is from God the Mighty, the Wise, Forgiver of sin, and accepter of repentance,--heavy in punishment, Long-suffering: there is no God but He, to whom is your journeying. None dispute about the signs of God save those who disbelieve; but let not their trafficking in the land deceive thee. Before them the people of Noah, and the allies after them, denied, and every folk hath purposed against its apostle to overmaster him, and they argued with falsehood to rebut the truth therewith; but I did overmaster them and how great was my punishment! And thus was the sentence of thy Lord accomplished upon those who disbelieved, that they should be inmates of the Fire!