Shall he then whose breast Allah hath expanded for Islam, so that he followeth a light from his Lord be as he whose heart is hardened? Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah. They are in an error manifest. 22 God has sent down the best Message: a Scripture that is consimilar and oft-repeated: that causes the skins of those in awe of their Lord to creep. Then their skins and their hearts soften at the mention of God: such is God's guidance. He bestows it upon whoever He will; but no one can guide those whom God leaves to stray. 23 Could, then, one who shall have nothing but is [bare] face to protect him from the awful suffering [that will befall him] on Resurrection Day [be likened to the God-conscious]? [On that Day,] the evildoers will be told: "Taste [now] what you have earned [in life]!" 24 Those before them had denied, therefore the punishment came to them from a place they did not know. 25 So Allah made them taste degradation in the life of this world, and certainly the chastisement of the Hereafter will be much more grievous. Would that they knew! 26 And assuredly We have propounded for mankind in this Qur'an all kinds of similitudes, that haply they may be admonished. 27 A Lecture in Arabic, containing no crookedness, that haply they may ward off (evil). 28 [To this end,] God sets forth a parable: A man who has for his masters several partners, [all of them] at variance with one another, and a man depending wholly on one person: can these two be deemed equal as regards their condition? [Nay,] all praise is due to God [alone]: but most of them do not understand this. 29 Thou art mortal, and they are mortal; 30 Then on the Day of Resurrection you will dispute before your Lord. 31