And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers. 8 They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive. 9 A sickness exists in their hearts to which God adds more sickness. Besides this, they will suffer a painful punishment as a result of the lie which they speak. 10 When asked to desist from spreading corruption in the land they say: "Why, we are reformers." 11 Now surely they themselves are the mischief makers, but they do not perceive. 12 When they are told to believe as everyone else does, they say, "Should we believe as fools do?" In fact, they themselves are fools, but they do not know it. 13 When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe;" but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: "We are really with you: We (were) only jesting." 14 Allah mocketh back at them, and letteth them in their exorbitance wander bewildered. 15 These are they who purchased error for guidance, but their traffic profited not, nor have they ever become guided. 16 Their example is like one who kindled a fire, and when it lit all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness. They could not see. 17 Deaf, dumb, blind - and they cannot turn back. 18 Or like a rainstorm from the sky, in which are darkness, thunder and lightning; they thrust their fingers in their ears due to the thunderclaps, fearing death; and Allah has the disbelievers encompassed. 19 The lightning well-nigh snatcheth away their sight; whensoever it flasheth on them, they walk therein, and when it becometh dark unto them, they stand still. And had Allah willed He would of a surety have taken away their hearing and their sights; verily Allah is over everything potent. 20