O you assembly of jinns and men, did not apostles come to you from among you, communicating My signs to you, bringing warnings of this your day (of Doom)?" They will answer: "We bear witness to our sins." They were surely deluded by the life of the world, and bore witness against themselves because they were unbelievers. 130 This is because your Lord would not destroy the (populations of) towns for their wrong-doing (i.e. associating others in worship along with Allah) while their people were unaware (so the Messengers were sent). 131 Every one has his place according to his deeds, for your Lord is not negligent of what you do. 132 Thy Lord is self-sufficient, full of Mercy: if it were His will, He could destroy you, and in your place appoint whom He will as your successors, even as He raised you up from the posterity of other people. 133 All that hath been promised unto you will come to pass: nor can ye frustrate it (in the least bit). 134 Say (O Muhammad!): 'O people! Work in your place; and I too am at work. Soon you will know in whose favour the ultimate decision will be. Surely the wrong-doers will not prosper.' 135 And among the crops and animals that Allah has created, they assigned (only) a portion to Him and therefore said “This is for Allah” – in their opinion – “and this is for our partners (false deities)”; so the portion for their partners does not reach Allah; and the portion for Allah reaches their partners; what an evil judgement they impose! 136 Even so, in the eyes of most of the pagans, their "partners" made alluring the slaughter of their children, in order to lead them to their own destruction, and cause confusion in their religion. If Allah had willed, they would not have done so: But leave alone them and their inventions. 137 And they say according to their fancy: such cattle and tilth are taboo; none shall eat thereof save whom we allow. And there are cattle whose backs are forbidden, and cattle over which they pronounce not the name of Allah: a fabrication against Him. Anon He shall requite them for that which they were wont to fabricate. 138 And they say, "What is in the bellies of these animals is exclusively for our males and forbidden to our females. But if it is [born] dead, then all of them have shares therein." He will punish them for their description. Indeed, He is Wise and Knowing. 139 Lost, indeed, are they who, in their weak-minded ignorance, slay their children and declare as forbidden that which God has provided for them as sustenance, falsely ascribing [such prohibitions] to God: they have gone astray and have not found the right path. 140