And what of him, the evil of whose deeds has been decked out fair to him, so that he thinks it is good? God leads astray whomsoever He will, and whomsoever He will He guides; so let not thy soul be wasted in regrets for them; God has knowledge of the things they work. 8 And it is Allah who sends the winds, and they stir the clouds, and We drive them to a dead land and give life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness. Thus is the resurrection. 9 Whoever desires honour – therefore all honour belongs to Allah!* Towards Him only ascends the pure good speech, and He raises high the pious deed; and for those who conspire evil is a severe punishment; and their own conspiracy will be destroyed. (It is Allah Who bestows honour, to whomever He wills.) 10 God created you of dust then of a sperm-drop, then He made you pairs. No female bears or brings forth, save with His knowledge; and none is given long life who is given long life neither is any diminished in his life, but it is in a Book. Surely that is easy for God. 11 [Easy is it for Him to create likeness and variety:] thus, the two great bodies of water [on earth] are not alike the one sweet, thirst-allaying, pleasant to drink, and the other salty and bitter: and yet, from either of them do you eat fresh meat, and [from either] you take gems which you may wear; and on either thou canst see ships ploughing through the waves, so that you might [be able to] go forth in quest of some of His bounty, and thus have cause to be grateful. 12 He makes the night to enter into the day and makes the day to enter into the night, and He has subjected the sun and the moon, each of them running to a stated term. That is God, your Lord; to Him belongs the Kingdom; and those you call upon, apart from Him, possess not so much as the skin of a date-stone. 13 If ye pray unto them they hear not your prayer, and if they heard they could not grant it you. On the Day of Resurrection they will disown association with you. None can inform you like Him Who is Aware. 14