It is Allah that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect. 42 What! Do they take for intercessors others besides Allah? Say: "Even if they have no power whatever and no intelligence?" 43 Proclaim, “To Allah only* belongs all the intercession! For Him only is the kingship of the heavens and the earth; and then it is towards you have to return.” (*Allah does not intercede – He gives the permission to intercede with Him, to whomever He wills.) 44 And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter shrink, and when those besides Him are mentioned, lo! they are joyful. 45 Say, "O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You will judge between your servants concerning that over which they used to differ." 46 And had those who are unjust all that is in the earth and the like of it with it, they would certainly offer it as ransom (to be saved) from the evil of the punishment on the day of resurrection; and what they never thought of shall become plain to them from Allah. 47 And the evil (consequences) of what they wrought shall become plain to them, and the very thing they mocked at shall beset them. 48 When affliction befalls man, he appeals to Us; but when We bestow a favour upon him he says, "All this has been given to me because of my own knowledge." By no means! It is a trial: yet most of them do not realize it. 49 So said those that were before them; but that they earned did not avail them, 50 the very evil of their deeds recoiled upon them; today's wrongdoers shall also have the evil of their deeds recoil upon them: they will never be able to frustrate [Our plan]. 51 Are they, then, not aware that it is God who grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills? In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who will believe! 52