A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn. Proverbs 17:8

And I will destroy the cities of your land, and I will break down all your fortresses. And I will destroy sorcery from your hand, and you will have no soothsayers. And I will destroy your graven images and your monuments from your midst, and you shall no longer prostrate yourself to your handiwork. Micah 5:10-12

And Hannah answered and said: No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit, and neither new wine nor old wine have I drunk, and I poured out my soul before the Lord. Deliver not your bondswoman before the unscrupulous woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and my vexation have I spoken until now. And Eli answered and said: Go in peace, and the God of Israel will grant your request which you have asked of Him. And she said: May your bondswoman find favor in your eyes; and the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was not (sad) anymore. And they arose early in the morning, and prostrated themselves before the Lord: and they returned and came to their house, to Ramah, and Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And it was, when the time came about, after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, because (she said); "I asked him of the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:15-20 

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"For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as idolatry and seraphim. Since you rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being a king." 1 Samuel 15:23

And Saul said to his servants, "Seek for me a necromanceress; and I shall go to her, and inquire of her." And his servants said, "Behold, there is a necromanceress in En-dor." And Saul disguised himself, and donned other garments. And he went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night, and he said, "Divine now for me with necromancy, and conjure up for me whom I shall tell you." And the woman said to him, "Behold, you know what Saul has done, that he has abolished the necromancers and those who divine by the Jidoa bone, from the land; and why do you lay a snare for my life to cause me to die?" And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, "As the Lord lives, no punishment will happen to you for this thing." And the woman said, "Whom shall I conjure up for you?" And he said, "Conjure up Samuel for me." And the woman saw Samuel, and she cried aloud. And the woman said to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!" And the king said to her, "Fear not, for what have you seen?" And the woman said to Saul, "I have seen angels ascending from the earth." And he said to her, "What is his form?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a cloak." And Saul knew that he was Samuel; and he bowed down with his face to the ground, and prostrated himself. And Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you roused me, to bring me up?" And Saul said, "I am greatly distressed, and the Philistines are battling against me, and God has turned away from me, and has not answered me anymore, neither through the prophets, nor through dreams. And I have called you to let me know what I shall do." And Samuel said, "And why do you ask me, when the Lord has turned away from you, and has become (the supporter of) your adversary? And the Lord has done to him as He spoke by me; and the Lord has torn the kingdom from your hand, and has given it to your fellow-to David. Because you did not listen to the Lord's voice, and you did not execute the fierceness of His wrath against Amalek; therefore, the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 

And you, heed not your prophets or your diviners or your dreams or your soothsayers or your sorcerers, who say to you, saying, "You shall not serve the king of Babylon." Jeremiah 27:9

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And they said, each one with his fellow, "come, let's cast lots, so that we will know because of whom this evil has befallen us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Jonah 1:7

And I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely; and also against those who withhold the wages of the day laborers, of the widow and fatherless, and those who pervert [the rights of] the stranger, [and those who] fear Me not, says the Lord of Hosts. For I, the Lord, have not changed; and you, the sons of Jacob, have not reached the end. From the days of your fathers you have departed from My laws and have not kept [them]. "Return to Me, and I will return to you," said the Lord of Hosts, but you said, "With what have we to return?" Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me, and you say, "With what have we robbed You?"-With tithes and with the terumah-levy. You are cursed with a curse, but you rob Me, the whole nation! Bring the whole of the tithes into the treasury so that there may be nourishment in My House, and test Me now therewith, says the Lord of Hosts, [to see] if I will not open for you the sluices of heaven and pour down for you blessing until there be no room to suffice for it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, and he will not destroy the fruits of your land; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field, says the Lord of Hosts. And then all the nations shall praise you, for you shall be a desirable land, says the Lord of Hosts. Malachi 3:5-12

And he passed his sons through fire in the valley of Ben Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, divination, and sorcery, and he consulted necromancers and those who divine by the jidoa bone; he did much that was evil in the eyes of the Lord, to provoke Him. 2 Kings 17:17

And he placed the graven image of the idol that he made, in the House of God, concerning which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this House and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My name forever. And I will not continue to remove Israel's feet from the land that I have given their forefathers; if they will but observe to do all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law, the statutes, and the ordinances that Moses My servant commanded them." And Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray to do what was evil, more than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed from before the Children of Israel. And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they did not listen. And the Lord brought upon them the generals of the king of Assyria, and they seized Manasseh with hooks and bound him with copper chains and brought him to Babylon. And when he was distressed, he entreated the Lord his God, and he humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed to Him, and He accepted his prayer, and He heard his supplication and He restored him to Jerusalem to his kingdom, and Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. 2 Chronicles 33:6-13

Because of the many harlotries of the harlot, charming and enchanting, who delivers nations with her harlotries, and families with her enchantments. Behold! I am against you, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will uncover your skirts upon your face-and I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame. And I will cast detestable things upon you and make you vile, and I will make you like dung. And it shall come to pass that whoever sees you shall wander away from you, and he shall say, "Nineveh has been plundered." Who will console her? Whence shall I seek comforters for you? Are you better than No-Amon, which was situated among the rivers, with water around it-whose wall was the sea and of the sea, its wall? Cush was [its] strength, and Egypt, which had no end; Put and the Lubim were your helpers. She, too, went into exile in captivity. Her young children, too, were dashed at the head of all the streets. And they cast lots on her dignitaries, and all her great men were bound in chains. You, too, shall become drunk; you shall disappear; you, too, shall seek refuge from the enemy. All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe fruits; if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. Behold! Your people are [like] women in your midst. For your enemies, the gates of your land shall be opened; a fire shall consume your bars. Draw siege water for yourself; strengthen your fortifications; come into the clay and tread the mortar; grasp the brickmold. There a fire shall consume you; a sword shall cut you off, it shall consume you as the nibbling locust [does]. You shall be swept away by the nibbling locust; you shall be swept away like the increasing locust. You have increased your traffickers more than the stars of the heavens; the nibbling locust spreads out and flies away. Your princes are like the increasing locust, and your marshals like armies of locusts which alight on the walls on a cold day; the sun shines, and it flies away, and its place is not known-where they are. Your leaders slumber, O King of Assyria; your mighty men are at rest; your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them in. No one is pained over your destruction; your wound is grievous; all who hear your report clap hands over you, for upon whom did your harm not pass constantly? Nahum 3:4-19

And the king commanded to summon the necromancers, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams, and they came and stood before the king. Daniel 2:2

The Chaldeans replied before the king and said, "There is no man on the earth who can declare the king's word; because no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any necromancer, astrologer, or Chaldean. And the matter that the king asks is difficult, and there is no other who can tell it before the king but the angels, whose dwelling is not with people." Daniel 2:10-11

Then Daniel entered and requested of the king that time be given him, and the interpretation would be told to the king. Then Daniel went home and let his colleagues, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, know of the matter. And to pray and beg of the God of heaven about this secret, that Daniel and his colleagues should not perish with the remaining wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in the vision of the night; then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel spoke up and said, "May the Name of God be blessed from everlasting even to everlasting, to Whom are wisdom and might. And He changes the times and the seasons, He removes kings and sets up kings; He grants wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding. He reveals the profound and secret things; He knows what is in the dark, and light dwells with Him. To You, O God of my forefathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom and might, and now You have let me know what I requested of You, for the matter of the king You have let me know." Daniel 2:17-23

The king spoke up and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Do you have the ability to tell me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?" Daniel answered the king and said, "The secret that the king asks, no wise men, astrologers, necromancers, or demonologists can tell the king. But there is a God in heaven Who reveals secrets, and He lets King Nebuchadnezzar know what will be at the end of days; that is your dream and the visions of your head on your bed. You, O king, your thoughts came while on your bed, what will be after this, and the Revealer of secrets lets you know what will be. And I-not with wisdom that I possess more than all living, did He reveal this secret to me, but in order that they should let the king know the interpretation, and you should know the thoughts of your heart. O King, you were watching, and behold, one great image, an image which had a large base and with unusual splendor, was standing opposite you, and its form was frightening. That image had a head of fine gold, its breast and its arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of copper. Its legs were of iron, and its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. You were watching until one stone was hewn without hands, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and crumbled them. Then the iron, the clay, the copper, the silver, and the gold crumbled together, and they were like chaff from the threshing floors of the summer, and the wind carried them off, and no place was found for them, and the stone that struck the image became a huge mountain and filled the entire earth. This is the dream, and its interpretation we shall recite before the king. You, O King, the King of kings, the God of heaven gave you a strong, powerful, and prominent kingdom. And wherever people, wild beasts, and birds of the sky dwell, He has given into your hand and has given you dominion over them all. You are the head of gold. And after you will arise another kingdom lower than you, and another-a third kingdom- of copper, which will rule over the entire earth. And a fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, for iron crumbles and flattens everything, and like iron, which shatters all these, it will crumble and shatter. And what you saw, the feet and the toes-which were partly of potter's clay and partly of iron-so it will be a divided kingdom, and in it will be some of the strength of iron, in view of what you saw iron mixed with clay. And the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, for part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be broken. And what you saw, iron mixed with clay, [connotes] that they will mingle with the seed of men, but they will not cleave one to the other, as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom forever, it will not be destroyed, and the kingdom will not be left to another people; it will crumble and destroy all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever. Just as you saw that from the mountain a stone was hewn without hands, and it crumbled the iron, the copper, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has let the king know what will be after this, and the dream is true, and its interpretation is reliable." Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and prostrated himself before Daniel, and he ordered to offer up a meal-offering and libations to bring him satisfaction. The king replied to Daniel and said, "Truly, your God is the God of the gods and the Master of the kings, and He reveals secrets, being that you were able to reveal this secret. Daniel 2:26-47

And they will banish you from mankind, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they will feed you grass like the cattle, and with the dew of the heavens you shall be drenched, and seven periods shall pass over you until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men, and to whom He wishes He gives it. And what they said to leave, the main roots of the tree, your kingdom will remain yours, as soon as you know that Heaven rules. Indeed, O king, may my counsel please you, and with charity you will remove your sin and your iniquity by showing mercy to the poor; perhaps your tranquility will last." Daniel 4:22-24

There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of holy angels, and in your father's time enlightenment, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the angels was found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him prince of the necromancers, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the demonologists; [so did] your father the king. All because a superior spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, tell riddles, and untie knots was found in him, in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar; now let Daniel be summoned and he will tell the interpretation." Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king raised his voice and said to Daniel, "You are Daniel, who is of the exiles of Judea, whom my father brought from Judea. And I heard about you that the spirit of the angels is in you, and enlightenment, understanding, and superior wisdom is found in you. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they may read this writing and let me know its interpretation, but they cannot interpret the matter to tell [it]. And I have heard about you that you can interpret interpretations and untie knots. Now if you can read the writing and let me know its interpretation, you shall wear purple and [have] a golden chain on your neck, and [over] a third of the kingdom you shall rule." Then Daniel raised his voice and said before the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself, and give your lavish gifts to someone else, but I shall read the writing for the king, and I shall let him know the interpretation. You are the king [because] the Most High God gave your father, Nebuchadnezzar, kingdom, greatness, honor, and glory. And through the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and tongues were quaking, and they feared him; whomever he wished he would slay, and whomever he wished he would let live; whomever he wished he would exalt, and whomever he wished he would humble. And when his heart became haughty and his spirit was toughened so that he dealt wickedly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and the honor was removed from him. And he was banished from mankind, and his heart was just like that of the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses. They fed him grass like the cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of the heavens, until he realized that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of man, and whomever He wishes He sets up on it. Daniel 5:11-21

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Mathew 7:21-27

Whoever is hostile to God, and His angels, and His messengers, and Gabriel, and Michael—God is hostile to the faithless.

We have revealed to you clear signs, and none rejects them except the sinners. Is it not that whenever they make a covenant, some of them toss it aside? In fact, most of them do not believe. And when there came to them a messenger from God, confirming what they had, a faction of those who were given the Book threw the Book of God behind their backs, as if they do not know. And they followed what the devils taught during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but it was the devils who disbelieved. They taught the people witchcraft and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut. They did not teach anybody until they had said, “We are a test, so do not lose faith.” But they learned from them the means to cause separation between man and his wife. But they cannot harm anyone except with God's permission. And they learned what would harm them and not benefit them. Yet they knew that whoever deals in it will have no share in the Hereafter. Miserable is what they sold their souls for, if they only knew. Had they believed and been righteous, the reward from God would have been better, if they only knew. Quran 2:98-103

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Prohibited for you are carrion, blood, the flesh of swine, and animals dedicated to other than God; also the flesh of animals strangled, killed violently, killed by a fall, gored to death, mangled by wild animals—except what you rescue, and animals sacrificed on altars; and the practice of drawing lots. For it is immoral. Today, those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion, so do not fear them, but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My favor upon you, and have approved Islam as a religion for you. But whoever is compelled by hunger, with no intent of wrongdoing—God is Forgiving and Merciful. Quran 5:3

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O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, idolatry, and divination are abominations of Satan’s doing. Avoid them, so that you may prosper. Quran 5:90

When Joseph said to his father, “O my father, I saw eleven planets, and the sun, and the moon; I saw them bowing down to me.” He said, “O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers, lest they plot and scheme against you. Satan is man's sworn enemy. And thus your Lord will choose you, and will teach you the interpretation of events, and will complete His blessing upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He has completed it before upon your forefathers Abraham and Isaac. Your Lord is Knowing and Wise. In Joseph and his brothers are lessons for the seekers. Quran 12:4-6

“O My fellow inmates, are diverse lords better, or God, the One, the Supreme?” “You do not worship, besides Him, except names you have named, you and your ancestors, for which God has sent down no authority. Judgment belongs to none but God. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. This is the right religion, but most people do not know. “O my fellow inmates! One of you will serve his master wine; while the other will be crucified, and the birds will eat from his head. Thus the matter you are inquiring about is settled.” Quran 12:39-41

“Joseph, O man of truth, inform us concerning seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green spikes, and others dried up, so that I may return to the people, so that they may know.” He said, “You will farm for seven consecutive years. But whatever you harvest, leave it in its spikes, except for the little that you eat.” Then after that will come seven difficult ones, which will consume what you have stored for them, except for the little that you have preserved. Then after that will come a year that brings relief to the people, and during which they will press. The king said, “Bring him to me.” And when the envoy came to him, he said, “Go back to your master, and ask him about the intentions of the women who cut their hands; my Lord is well aware of their schemes.” “He said, “What was the matter with you, women, when you tried to seduce Joseph?” They said, “God forbid! We knew of no evil committed by him.” The governor’s wife then said, “Now the truth is out. It was I who tried to seduce him, and he is telling the truth.” “This is that he may know that I did not betray him in secret, and that God does not guide the scheming of the betrayers.” “Yet I do not claim to be innocent. The soul commands evil, except those on whom my Lord has mercy. Truly my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.” Quran 12:46-53

He said, “You throw!” And when they threw, they beguiled the eyes of the people, and intimidated them, and produced a mighty magic. And We inspired Moses: “Throw your staff.” And at once, it swallowed what they were faking. So the truth came to pass, and what they were producing came to nothing. There they were defeated, and utterly reduced. And the magicians fell to their knees. They said, “We have believed in the Lord of the Worlds.” “The Lord of Moses and Aaron.Pharaoh said, “Did you believe in Him before I have given you permission? This is surely a conspiracy you schemed in the city, in order to expel its people from it. You will surely know.” “I will cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then I will crucify you all.”They said, “It is to our Lord that we will return.” “You are taking vengeance on us only because we have believed in the signs of our Lord when they have come to us.” “Our Lord! Pour out patience upon us, and receive our souls in submission.” The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said, “Will you let Moses and his people cause trouble in the land, and forsake you and your gods?” He said, “We will kill their sons, and spare their women. We have absolute power over them.” Moses said to his people, “Seek help in God, and be patient. The earth belongs to God. He gives it in inheritance to whomever He wills of His servants, and the future belongs to the righteous.” They said, “We were persecuted before you came to us, and after you came to us.” He said, “Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy, and make you successors in the land; then He will see how you behave.”And We afflicted the people of Pharaoh with barren years, and with shortage of crops, that they may take heed. When something good came their way, they said, “This is ours.” And when something bad happened to them, they ascribed the evil omen to Moses and those with him. In fact, their omen is with God, but most of them do not know. And they said, “No matter what sign you bring us, to bewitch us with, we will not believe in you.” So We let loose upon them the flood, and the locusts, and the lice, and the frogs, and blood—all explicit signs—but they were too arrogant. They were a sinful people. Whenever a plague befell them, they would say, “O Moses, pray to your Lord for us, according to the covenant He made with you. If you lift the plague from us, we will believe in you, and let the Children of Israel go with you.” But when We lifted the plague from them, for a term they were to fulfill, they broke their promise. So We took vengeance on them, and drowned them in the sea—because they rejected Our signs, and paid no heed to them. And We made the oppressed people inherit the eastern and western parts of the land, which We had blessed. Thus the fair promise of your Lord to the Children of Israel was fulfilled, because of their endurance. And We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had built, and what they had harvested. And We delivered the Children of Israel across the sea. And when they came upon a people who were devoted to some statues of theirs, they said, “O Moses, make for us a god, as they have gods.” He said, “You are truly an ignorant people.” “What these people are concerned with is perdition, and their deeds are based on falsehoods.” He said, “Shall I seek for you a god other than God, when He has favored you over all other people?” Remember how We saved you from Pharaoh’s people, who subjected you to the worst of sufferings—killing your sons and sparing your women. In that was a tremendous trial from your Lord. And We appointed to Moses thirty nights, and completed them with ten; and thus the time appointed by his Lord was forty nights. And Moses said to his brother Aaron: “Take my place among my people, and be upright, and do not follow the way of the mischief-makers.” Quran 7:116-142

He said, “Did you come to us to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Moses? We will produce for you magic like it; so make an appointment between us and you, which we will not miss—neither us, nor you—in a central place.” He said, “Your appointment is the day of the festival, so let the people be gathered together at mid-morning.” Pharaoh turned away, put together his plan, and then came back. Moses said to them, “Woe to you. Do not fabricate lies against God, or He will destroy you with a punishment. He who invents lies will fail.” They disagreed among themselves over their affair, and conferred secretly. They said, “These two are magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic, and to abolish your exemplary way of life. So settle your plan, and come as one front. Today, whoever gains the upper hand will succeed.” They said, “O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.” He said, “You throw.” And suddenly, their ropes and sticks appeared to him, because of their magic, to be crawling swiftly. So Moses felt apprehensive within himself. We said, “Do not be afraid, you are the uppermost. Now throw down what is in your right hand—it will swallow what they have crafted. What they have crafted is only a magician’s trickery. But the magician will not succeed, no matter what he does.” And the magicians fell down prostrate. They said, “We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.” He said, “Did you believe in him before I have given you permission? He must be your chief, who has taught you magic. I will cut off your hands and your feet on alternate sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of the palm-trees. Then you will know which of us is more severe in punishment, and more lasting.” They said, “We will not prefer you to the proofs that have come to us, and Him who created us. So issue whatever judgment you wish to issue. You can only rule in this lowly life. We have believed in our Lord, so that He may forgive us our sins, and the magic you have compelled us to practice. God is Better, and more Lasting.” Whoever comes to his Lord guilty, for him is Hell, where he neither dies nor lives. But whoever comes to Him a believer, having worked righteousness—these will have the highest ranks. The Gardens of Perpetuity, beneath which rivers flow, dwelling therein forever. That is the reward for him who purifies himself. And We inspired Moses: “Travel by night with My servants, and strike for them a dry path across the sea, not fearing being overtaken, nor worrying.” Pharaoh pursued them with his troops, but the sea overwhelmed them, and completely engulfed them. Pharaoh misled his people, and did not guide them. O Children of Israel! We have delivered you from your enemy, and promised you by the right side of the Mount, and sent down to you manna and quails. Eat of the good things We have provided for you, but do not be excessive therein, lest My wrath descends upon you. He upon whom My wrath descends has fallen. And I am Forgiving towards him who repents, believes, acts righteously, and then remains guided. “And what made you rush ahead of your people, O Moses?” He said, “They are following in my footsteps; and I hurried on to You, my Lord, that you may be pleased.” He said, “We have tested your people in your absence, and the Samarian misled them.” So Moses returned to his people, angry and disappointed. He said, “O my people, did your Lord not promise you a good promise? Was the time too long for you? Or did you want wrath from your Lord to descend upon you, so you broke your promise to me?” They said, “We did not break our promise to you by our choice, but we were made to carry loads of the people’s ornaments, and we cast them in. That was what the Samarian suggested.” So he produced for them a calf—a mere body which lowed. And they said, “This is your god, and the god of Moses, but he has forgotten.” Did they not see that it cannot return a word to them, and has no power to harm them or benefit them? Aaron had said to them before, “O my people, you are being tested by this. And your Lord is the Merciful, so follow me, and obey my command.” They said, “We will not give up our devotion to it, until Moses returns to us.” He said, “O Aaron, what prevented you, when you saw them going astray. From following me? Did you disobey my command?” He said, “Son of my mother, do not seize me by my beard or my head. I feared you would say, `You have caused division among the Children of Israel, and did not regard my word.'“ He said, “What do you have to say, O Samarian?” He said, “I saw what they did not see, so I grasped a handful from the Messenger’s traces, and I flung it away. Thus my soul prompted me.” He said, “Begone! Your lot in this life is to say, ‘No contact.’ And you have an appointment that you will not miss. Now look at your god that you remained devoted to—we will burn it up, and then blow it away into the sea, as powder.” Surely your god is God, the One besides whom there is no other god. He comprehends everything in knowledge. Thus We narrate to you reports of times gone by; and We have given you a message from Our Presence. Whoever turns away from it will carry on the Day of Resurrection a burden. Quran 20:75-100

But when the truth came to them from Us, they said, “If only he was given the like of what was given to Moses.” Did they not disbelieve in what was given to Moses in the past? They said, “Two works of magic backing one another.” And they said, “We are disbelieving in both.” Say, “Then bring a scripture from God, more conductive to guidance than both, and I will follow it, if you are truthful.” But if they fail to respond to you, know that they follow their fancies. And who is more lost than him who follows his fancy without guidance from God? God does not guide the unjust people. We have delivered the Word to them, that they may remember. Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it believe in it. When it is recited to them, they say, “We have believed in it; it is the truth from our Lord; we were Muslims prior to it.” These will be given their reward twice, because they persevered; and they counter evil with good; and from Our provisions to them, they give.And when they hear vain talk, they avoid it, and say, “We have our deeds, and you have your deeds; peace be upon you; we do not desire the ignorant.” You cannot guide whom you love, but God guides whom He wills, and He knows best those who are guided. And they say, “If we follow the guidance with you, we will be snatched from our land.” Did We not establish for them a Safe Sanctuary, to which are brought all kinds of fruits, as provision from Ourselves? But most of them do not know. And how many a city did We destroy for turning unappreciative of its livelihood? Here are their homes, uninhabited after them, except for a few. And We became the Inheritors. Your Lord never destroys cities without first sending a messenger in their midst, reciting to them Our revelations. And We never destroy the cities, unless their people are wrongdoers. Whatever thing you are given is but the material of this world, and its glitter. But what is with God is better, and longer lasting. Do you not comprehend? Quran 28:58-60

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Praise be to God, to Whom belongs everything in the heavens and the earth; and praise be to Him in the Hereafter. He is the Wise, the Expert.

He knows what penetrates into the earth, and what comes out of it, and what descends from the sky, and what ascends to it. He is the Merciful, the Forgiving. Those who disbelieve say, “The Hour will not come upon us.” Say, “Yes indeed, by my Lord, it will come upon you. He is the Knower of the unseen.” Not an atom's weight in the heavens and the earth, or anything smaller or larger, escapes His knowledge. All are in a Clear Record. That He may recompense those who believe and do good works. Those will have forgiveness, and a generous provision. As for those who strive against Our revelations, seeking to undermine them—for them is a punishment of a painful plague. Those who received knowledge know that what is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth; and it guides to the path of the Majestic, the Praiseworthy. Those who disbelieved said, “Shall we point out to you a man, who will tell you that, once torn into shreds, you will be in a new creation? Did he invent a lie about God, or is there madness in him?” Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter are in torment, and far astray. Do they not reflect upon what lies before them and behind them, of the heaven and the earth? If We will, We can make the earth cave in beneath them, or make pieces of the sky fall down on them. In that is a sign for every devout servant. We bestowed upon David favor from Us: “O mountains, and birds: echo with him.” And We softened iron for him. “Make coats of armor, and measure the links well; and work righteousness. I am Observant of everything you do.” And for Solomon the wind—its outward journey was one month, and its return journey was one month. And We made a spring of tar flow for him. And there were sprites that worked under him, by the leave of his Lord. But whoever of them swerved from Our command, We make him taste of the punishment of the Inferno. They made for him whatever he wished: sanctuaries, statues, bowls like pools, and heavy cauldrons. “O House of David, work with appreciation,” but a few of My servants are appreciative. Then, when We decreed death for him, nothing indicated his death to them except an earthworm eating at his staff. Then, when he fell down, it became clear to the sprites that, had they known the unseen, they would not have remained in the demeaning torment. In Sheba’s homeland there used to be a wonder: two gardens, on the right, and on the left. “Eat of your Lord’s provision, and give thanks to Him.” A good land, and a forgiving Lord. But they turned away, so We unleashed against them the flood of the dam; and We substituted their two gardens with two gardens of bitter fruits, thorny shrubs, and meager harvest. We thus penalized them for their ingratitude. Would We penalize any but the ungrateful? Between them and the towns We had blessed, We placed prominent towns, and We made the travel between them easy. “Travel between them by night and day, in safety.” But they said, “Our Lord, lengthen the distances of our journeys.” They wronged themselves; so We made them history, and We scattered them in every direction. In this are lessons for every steadfast and appreciative person. Satan was correct in his assessment of them. They followed him, except for a group of believers. He had no authority over them; except that We willed to distinguish him who believes in the Hereafter, from him who is doubtful about it. Your Lord is Guardian over all things. Say, “Call upon those whom you claim besides God. They possess not an atom's weight in the heavens or the earth, and they possess no share of either, and He has no backers from among them.” Intercession with Him is of no value, except for someone He has permitted. Until, when fear has subsided from their hearts, they will say, “What did your Lord say?” They will say, “The truth, and He is the High, the Great.” Say, “Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth?” Say, “God. And Either you, or we, are rightly guided, or in evident error.” Say, “You will not be asked about our misdeeds, nor will we be asked about what you do.” Say, “Our Lord will bring us together; then He will judge between us equitably. He is the All-Knowing Judge.” Say, “Show me those you have attached to Him as associates. No indeed! But He is God, the Powerful, the Wise.” We sent you only universally to all people, a herald and warner, but most people do not know. And they say, “When is this promise due, if you are truthful?” Say, “You are promised a Day, which you cannot postpone by one hour, nor bring forward.” Those who disbelieve say, “We will never believe in this Quran, nor in what came before it.” If you could only see the wrongdoers, captive before their Lord, throwing back allegations at one another. Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, “Were it not for you, we would have been believers.” Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed, “Was it us who turned you away from guidance when it came to you? No indeed, you yourselves were sinful.” And those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, “It was your scheming by night and day; as you instructed us to reject God, and to set up rivals to Him.” They will hide their remorse when they see the retribution. We will put yokes around the necks of those who disbelieved. Will they be repaid for anything other than what they used to do? We sent no warner to any town, without its affluent saying, “We reject what you are sent with.” And they say, “We have more wealth and more children, and we will not be punished.” Say, “My Lord spreads out His bounty to whomever He wills, or restricts it; but most people do not know.” It is neither your wealth nor your children that bring you closer to Us, but it is he who believes and does good deeds. These will have a double reward for what they did; and they will reside in the Chambers, in peace and security. But those who work against Our revelations, seeking to undermine them—those will be summoned to the punishment. Say, “My Lord extends the provision to whomever He wills of His servants, or withholds it. Anything you spend, He will replace it. He is the Best of providers.” On the Day when He gathers them all together, then say to the angels, “Was it you these used to worship?” They will say, “Be You glorified; You are our Master, not them. In fact, they used to worship the jinn, and most of them had faith in them.”“Today, none of you has the power to profit or harm the other.” And We will say to those who did wrong, “Taste the agony of the Fire which you used to deny.” And when Our enlightening Verses are recited to them, they say, “This is nothing but a man who wants to divert you from what your ancestors used to worship.” And they say, “This is nothing but a fabricated lie.” And when the Truth comes to them, the blasphemers say of the Truth, “This is nothing but plain magic.” But We gave them no book to study, and We did not send them any warner before you. Those before them also denied the Truth, yet they have not attained one-tenth of what We had given them. They rejected My messengers, so how was My disapproval?  Say, “I offer you a single advice: devote yourselves to God, in pairs, or individually; and reflect. There is no madness in your friend. He is just a warner to you, before the advent of a severe punishment.” Say, “Whatever compensation I have asked of you, is yours. My compensation comes only from God, and He is Witness over all things.” Say, “My Lord projects the truth. He is the Knower of the Unseen.” Say, “The Truth has come; while falsehood can neither originate, nor regenerate.” Say, “If I err, I err only to my own loss; but if I am guided, it is by what my Lord inspires me. He is Hearing and Near." If you could only see when they are terrified, and there is no escape, and they are seized from a nearby place. And they say, “We have believed in it.” But how can they attain it from a distant place? They have rejected it in the past, and made allegations from a far-off place. A barrier will be placed between them and what they desire, as was done formerly with their counterparts. They were in disturbing doubt.

Quran 34

Woe on that Day to the deniers. Those who play with speculation. The Day when they are shoved into the Fire of Hell forcefully. “This is the Fire which you used to deny. Is this magic, or do you not see? Burn in it. Whether you are patient, or impatient, it is the same for you. You are only being repaid for what you used to do.” Quran 52: 12-16

So remind. By the grace of your Lord, you are neither a soothsayer, nor a madman. Or do they say, “A poet—we await for him a calamity of time”? Say, “Go on waiting; I will be waiting with you.” Or is it that their dreams compel them to this? Or are they aggressive people? Or do they say, “He made it up”? Rather, they do not believe. So let them produce a discourse like it, if they are truthful. Or were they created out of nothing? Or are they the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? In fact, they are not certain. Or do they possess the treasuries of your Lord? Or are they the controllers? Or do they have a stairway by means of which they listen? Then let their listener produce a clear proof. Or for Him the daughters, and for you the sons? Or do you demand a payment from them, and they are burdened by debt? Or do they know the future, and they are writing it down? Or are they planning a conspiracy? The conspiracy will befall the disbelievers. Or do they have a god besides God? God transcends what they associate. Even if they were to see lumps of the sky falling down, they would say, “A mass of clouds.” So leave them until they meet their Day in which they will be stunned. The Day when their ploys will avail them nothing; and they will not be helped. For those who do wrong, there is a punishment besides that; but most of them do not know. So patiently await the decision of your Lord, for you are before Our Eyes; and proclaim the praises of your Lord when you arise. And glorify Him during the night, and at the receding of the stars. Quran 52:29- 49

Those who disbelieve almost stab you with their glances when they hear the message, and say, “He is crazy!” Quran 68:51

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Say, “I take refuge with the Lord of Daybreak. From the evil of what He created. And from the evil of the darkness as it gathers. And from the evil of those who practice sorcery. And from the evil of an envious when he envies.” Quran 113

Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind. The King of mankind. The God of mankind. From the evil of the sneaky whisperer. Who whispers into the hearts of people. From among jinn and among people.” Quran 114