tongues. Its wonders never cease; it does not grow worn through repeated recitation, and scholars never have their fill of it. In another narration: ‘Nor do opinions differ through it.’ It is that which, when the jinn heard it, they could not help but say:

‘Indeed, we have heard an amazing Quran, which guides to the right course.’

Whoever speaks according to it speaks the truth; whoever acts upon it is rewarded; whoever judges by it is just; and whoever calls to it is guided to a straight path.”

Allah Most High says:

“And this is My path, which is straight, so follow it, and do not follow other paths, for they will separate you from His path.”

And He says:

“Alif, Lām, Mīm, Sād. This is a Book sent down to you, so let there be no distress in your heart because of it,”

up to His words:

“Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow other protectors besides Him.”

And He says:

“And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy. Lest you say, ‘The Scripture was sent down only to two groups before us, and we were indeed unaware of what they studied,’ or say, ‘If the Scripture had been sent down to us, we would have been better guided than they.’ Now clear evidence has come to you from your Lord, along with guidance and mercy. Who, then, is more unjust than one who denies Allah’s signs and turns away from them? We will repay those who turn away from Our signs with a terrible punishment for having turned away.”

Thus, He—glory be to Him—states that He will repay anyone who turns away from His signs, without qualification—whether he denies them or not—with a terrible punishment for having turned away.

This is clarified by the fact that everyone who does not acknowledge what the Messenger brought is a disbeliever, whether he believes the Messenger to be lying, is too proud to believe in him, turns away from him in pursuit of his own desires, or doubts what he brought. Everyone who denies what he brought is therefore a disbeliever. Yet someone who does not accuse him of lying may also be a disbeliever if he does not believe in him. For this reason, Allah declares in several places in His Book that those who abandon following what He has sent down are astray and subject to punishment, even if they engage in inquiry, debate, and diligent investigation into rational questions and other matters; and He deemed