Allah knows what every female bears; and what the wombs fall short of (in gestation), and what they may add. With Him everything is in a fixed measure. 8 the Knower of the unseen and the visible, the All-great, the All-exalted: 9 He who keeps his secret among you is the same to Him as he who speaks out publicly, and he who hides himself in the night and walks freely in the day. 10 There are guardians over everyone, both before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah's command. Verily Allah does not change a people's condition unless they change their inner selves. And when Allah decides to make a people suffer punishment, no one can avert it. Nor can any be of help to such a people against Allah. 11 He it is Who causes you to see lightning that inspires you with both fear and hope, and He it is Who whips up heavy clouds. 12 And Ar-Ra'd (thunder) glorifies and praises Him, and so do the angels because of His Awe, He sends the thunderbolts, and therewith He strikes whom He wills, yet they (disbelievers) dispute about Allah. And He is Mighty in strength and Severe in punishment. 13 To Him is due the true prayer; and those whom they pray to besides Allah give them no answer, but (they are) like one who stretches forth his two hands towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it will not reach it; and the prayer of the unbelievers is only in error. 14 And unto Allah prostrateth himself whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or of constraint, and also their shadows in the morning and the evenings. ۩ 15 Say, "Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth?" Say, "God." Say, "Why do you take protectors other than Him, who can neither benefit nor harm even themselves?" Say, "Are the blind and the seeing equal? Is darkness equal to the light? Or have they assigned partners to God who create as He creates, so that both creations appear to them alike?" Say, "God is the Creator of all things. He is the One, the Almighty." 16 [Whenever] He sends down water from the sky, and [once dry] river-beds are running high according to their measure, the stream carries scum on its surface; and likewise, from that [metal] which they smelt in the fire in order to make ornaments or utensils, [there rises] scum. In this way does God set forth the parable of truth and falsehood: for, as far as the scum is concerned, it passes away as [does all] dross; but that which is of benefit to man abides on earth. In this way does God set forth the parables 17 There will be the best of rewards for those who respond to their Lord: while those who do not respond to Him -- if they possessed all that is on earth and twice as much, they would surely offer it as ransom [on the Day of Judgement]; -- will have the worst reckoning and their goal is Hell: and how evil a resting-place! 18