17 Preface قُل مَن ذَا الَّذي يَعصِمُكُم مِنَ اللَّهِ إِن أَرادَ بِكُم سوءًا أَو أَرادَ بِكُم رَحمَةً ۚ وَلا يَجِدونَ لَهُم مِن دونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلا نَصيرًاYusuf AliSay: “Who is it that can screen you from God if it be His wish to give you Punishment or to give you Mercy?”1 Nor will they find for themselves, besides God, any protector or helper.It is still worse if the cowardice or desertion is shown in a Cause, which because of the high issues of truth and justice, may be called the Cause of God. How can anyone escape God’s Punishment? And in the same way, how can anyone prevent another from obtaining God’s Mercy by repentance and amendment? The better path, therefore, is to stand firm in God’s Way, and if you fail through human weakness, to repent and seek God’s Mercy. Cf. 33:24, and belonging n.