How many habitations that were sinful have We demolished utterly, and raised other people after them. 11 Yet, when they felt Our Punishment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it. 12 Flee not, and return unto that wherein ye luxuriated and your habitations, haply ye will be questioned. 13 They cried, “Woe to us, we were indeed unjust!” 14 And this remained their lament till We mowed them down and made them extinct. 15 AND [know that] We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in mere idle play: 16 Had We wished to take to Us an amusement We would have taken it to Us from Ours had We done so. 17 Nay, but [by the very act of creation] We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes the latter: and lo! it withers away. But woe unto you for all your [attempts at] defining [God] 18 To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth. And those who are near Him (i.e. the angels) are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship). 19 glorifying Him by night and in the daytime and never failing. 20 Or have they taken (for worship) aliha (gods) from the earth who raise the dead? 21 had there been in heaven or on earth any deities other than God, both [those realms would surely have fallen into ruin! But limitless in His glory is God, enthroned in His awesome almightiness far] above anything that men may devise by way of definition! 22 He is not to be questioned about what He does, but they shall be questioned. 23 Or have they chosen other gods beside Him? say: Bring your proof (of their godhead). This is the Reminder of those with me and those before me, but most of them know not the Truth and so they are averse. 24 Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me. 25 And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, they are [but] honored servants. 26 they do not try to speak ahead of Him, and they act at His command. 27 He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not intercede except for him whom He likes, and they fear with awe of Him. (The Holy Prophets and virtuous people will be given the permission to intercede. Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him – will be the first to intercede.) 28 ۞ And if any of them should say: "Verily, I am an ilah (a god) besides Him (Allah)," such a one We should recompense with Hell. Thus We recompense the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.). 29