AND WHENEVER thy Sustainer brings forth their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam, He [thus] calls upon them to bear witness about themselves: "Am I not your Sustainer?" - to which they answer: "Yea, indeed, we do bear witness thereto!" [Of this We remind you,] lest you say on the Day of Resurrection, "Verily, we were unaware of this"; 172 Or lest you should say: "It was only our fathers afortime who took others as partners in worship along with Allah, and we were (merely their) descendants after them; will You then destroy us because of the deeds of men who practised Al-Batil (i.e. polytheism and committing crimes and sins, invoking and worshipping others besides Allah)?" (Tafsir At-Tabari). 173 And thus do We expound the signs that they may turn back (to the right path). 174 (Muhammad), tell them the story of the person whom We inspired with Our guidance, but who detached himself from it and who was then pursued by Satan until he turned into a rebel. 175 Now had We so willed, We could indeed have exalted him by means of those [messages]: but he always clung to the earth and followed but his own desires. Thus, his parable is that of an [excited] dog: if thou approach him threateningly, he will pant with his tongue lolling; and if thou leave him alone, he will pant with his tongue lolling. Such is the parable of those who are bent on giving the lie to Our messages. Tell [them,] then, this story, so that they might take thought. 176 How evil an example [is that of] the people who denied Our signs and used to wrong themselves. 177 Those whom God has guided have the true guidance, but those whom He has caused to go astray are certainly lost. 178 And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless. 179 Allah's are the excellent names; so call on Him thereby; and leave alone those who profane His names. Anon will they be requited for that which they were wont to work. 180 And of those whom We have created there is a community guiding others with truth and acting justly according thereto. 181