Whenever We let mankind taste mercy after some adversity has afflicted them, they forthwith turn to devising false arguments against Our signs. Say, "God is swifter in His devising! Our angels are recording your intrigues." 21 It is He Who transports you over the land and the sea; to the extent that when you are in ships – and the ships sail with them with a favourable breeze and they rejoice at it – a gust of strong wind reaches them and waves come to them from every side and they realise that they are surrounded, – thereupon they pray to Allah as His sincere bondmen that, “If You rescue us from this, we will surely be thankful.” 22 Then when He delivereth them they forthwith rebel in the earth without justice. O ye! your rebellion is only against yourselves: a brief enjoyment of the life of the world; thereafter unto Us is your return; then We will declare unto you that which ye have been working. 23 The life of the world is like the rain that waters the crops of the earth which are used as food by men and cattle. But when the earth is embellished and adorned with gold, and its tillers begin to feel that (the crops) are under control, Our command descends suddenly at night or in the day, and We mow them down as though there was nothing there yesterday. This is how We distinctly explain Our signs to those who think. 24 Allah calls to the home of peace (i.e. Paradise, by accepting Allah's religion of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds and abstaining from polytheism and evil deeds) and guides whom He wills to a Straight Path. 25 ۞ for those who do good is a fine reward and a surplus. Neither dust nor shame shall cover their faces. Those are the companions of Paradise in it they shall live for ever. 26 Those who do evil deeds, the recompense of an evil deed is its like, and humiliation shall spread over them and there will be none to protect them from Allah. Darkness will cover their faces as though they were veiled with the dark blackness of night. These are the people of the Fire and in it they shall abide. 27 We will tell the pagans on the day when every one is resurrected, "Stand with your idols wherever you are." Then We will separate them (from their idols) and their idols will protest against them saying, "You did not worship us. 28 and none can bear witness between us and you as God does: we were, for certain, unaware of your worshipping [us]. 29 There shall every soul become acquainted with what it sent before, and they shall be brought back to Allah, their true Patron, and what they devised shall escape from them. 30