Blessed be He who, if He pleased, could give you better than that, -- gardens with rivers flowing by; and make palaces for you. 10 Nay, but they deny (the coming of) the Hour, and for those who deny (the coming of) the Hour We have prepared a flame. 11 Even if they were to see [this fire] from a distant place, they would only listen to its raging and roaring. 12 And when they are cast, bound together into a constricted place therein, they will plead for destruction there and then! 13 [But they will be told:] "Pray not today for one single extinction, but pray for many extinctions!" 14 Say thou: is that better or Garden of Abidance that hath been promised to the God-fearing? It shall be theirs as a recompense and a retreat. 15 “In it for them is all that they may desire, abiding in it for ever; a promise incumbent upon your Lord, that is prayed for.” 16 And on the day when He will assemble them and that which they worship instead of Allah and will say: Was it ye who misled these my slaves or did they (themselves) wander from the way? 17 They will reply, "Lord, You alone deserve all glory! We were not supposed to choose any guardian other than you. Since you have been benevolent to these people and their fathers, they forgot Your guidance and, thus, became subject to perdition." 18 [Thereupon God will say:] "And now, they [whom you regarded as divine] have given the lie to all your [past] assertions, and you can neither ward off [your punishment] nor obtain any succour! For, whoever of you has committed [such] evil, him shall We cause to taste great suffering!" 19 And all the Noble Messengers We sent before you were like this – eating food and walking in the markets; and We have made some of you a test for others; so will you, O people, patiently endure? And O dear Prophet, your Lord is All Seeing. 20