God knows what every female bears. He knows of every change within the womb. For everything He has a proper measure; 8 He knows both what is hidden and what is manifest. He is the Supreme One, the Most High. 9 Equal unto him is he among you who hideth the word and he who publisheth it, and he who hideth himself in the night and he who goeth about freely in the day. 10 There are guardians over everyone, both before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah's command. Verily Allah does not change a people's condition unless they change their inner selves. And when Allah decides to make a people suffer punishment, no one can avert it. Nor can any be of help to such a people against Allah. 11 He it is Who causes you to see lightning that inspires you with both fear and hope, and He it is Who whips up heavy clouds. 12 Nay, thunder repeateth His praises, and so do the angels, with awe: He flingeth the loud-voiced thunder-bolts, and therewith He striketh whomsoever He will, yet these (are the men) who (dare to) dispute about Allah, with the strength of His power (supreme)! 13 The only true appeal is to God alone; those they appeal to instead of Him will never respond to them in any way. They are like a man who stretches forth his hands toward the water, so that it may reach his mouth, but it never does. The calls of those who deny the truth are all in vain. 14 Whosoever is in the heavens and on earth bows to God in submission with a will or perforce, as do their shadows in the morning and evening. ۩ 15 Say: "Who is the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "[It is] God." Say: "[Why,] then, do you take for your protectors, instead of Him, such as have it not within their power to bring benefit to, or avert harm from, themselves?" Say: "Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equal? - or can the depths of darkness and the light be deemed equal?" Or do they [really] believe that there are, side by side with God, other divine powers that have created the like of what He creates, so that this act of creation appears to them to be similar [to His]? Say: "God is the Creator of all things; and He is the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists." 16 Allah sends down water from the heavens and the river-beds flow, each according to its measure, and the torrent carries along a swelling scum. In like manner, from that metal which they smelt in the fire to make ornaments and utensils, there arises scum like it. Thus does Allah depict truth and falsehood. As for the scum, it passes away as dross; but that which benefits mankind abides on the earth. Thus does Allah explain (the truth) through examples. 17 For those who obeyed the command of Allah is goodness and if those who did not obey Him owned all that is in the earth and in addition a similar one like it, they would give it to redeem their souls; it is they who will have a wretched account, and their destination is hell; and what a wretched resting place! 18