God takes the souls at the time of their death, and that which has not died, in its sleep; He withholds that against which He has decreed death, but looses the other till a stated term. Surely in that are signs for a people who reflect. Or have they taken intercessors apart from God? 42 Have they taken others as intercessors besides Allah? Say: "Even if they have power over nothing whatever and have no intelligence?" 43 Say: "To Allah belongs all intercession. His is the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, then to Him you shall be brought back." 44 And yet, whenever God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who will not believe in the life to come contract with bitter aversion - whereas, when those [imaginary powers] are mentioned side by side with Him, lo, they rejoice! 45 Say: "O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of all that is hidden and open! it is Thou that wilt judge between Thy Servants in those matters about which they have differed." 46 And had those who are unjust all that is in the earth and the like of it with it, they would certainly offer it as ransom (to be saved) from the evil of the punishment on the day of resurrection; and what they never thought of shall become plain to them from Allah. 47 And there shall appear unto them the evils that they earned, and there shall surround them that whereat they had been mocking. 48 When affliction befalls man, he appeals to Us; but when We bestow a favour upon him he says, "All this has been given to me because of my own knowledge." By no means! It is a trial: yet most of them do not realize it. 49 Those before them had already said it, but they were not availed by what they used to earn. 50 They were afflicted by the terrible result of whatever they gained. Besides this affliction, the unjust among them will also suffer the consequence of their deeds. They will not be able to challenge God. 51 Know they not that Allah enlarges the provision or restricts it, for any He pleases? Verily, in this are Signs for those who believe! 52