And who does greater evil than he who forges against God a lie, or cries lies to His signs? They shall not prosper, the evildoers. 21 And on the day when We shall muster them all together, then We shall say unto those who associated other gods with God, 'Where are your associates whom you were asserting? 22 Then their excuse will be but to say: "By God our Lord, we were not idolaters." 23 Consider, how they have lied against their own souls and have lost their gods. 24 Some of them listen to you. But We have cast veils over their hearts lest they understand it and in their ears heaviness; and if they see every sign they do not believe in it. When they come to you they argue, the unbelievers say: 'This is nothing but the tales of the ancient ones' 25 And they forbid (men) from it and avoid it, and they ruin none save themselves, though they perceive not. 26 And could you see when they are made to stand before the fire, then they shall say: Would that we were sent back, and we would not reject the communications of our Lord and we would be of the believers. 27 No! They will say this merely because the Truth which they had concealed will become obvious to them; or else if they were sent back, they would still revert to what was forbidden to them. (So this plea of theirs would be a lie too) for they are just liars. 28 They say now: 'There is nothing but the life of this world, and we shall not be raised from the dead.' 29 If you could only see when they are made to stand before their Lord! He will ask them, "Is this [second life] not the truth?" They will say, "Yes, by our Lord!" He will say, "Then, taste the punishment that comes from your having refused to acknowledge the truth!" 30