Is he, then, whose evil work hath been made fair-seeming unto him, so that he deemeth it good, be as he who rightly perceiveth the truth? Verily Allah sendeth astray whomsoever He listeth, and guideth whomsoever He listeth; so let not thine soul expire after them in sighings; verily Allah is the Knower of that which they perform. 8 God is He that looses the winds, that stir up cloud, then We drive it to a dead land and therewith revive the earth, after it is dead. Even so is the Uprising. 9 Whosoever desires glory, the glory altogether belongs to God. To Him good words go up, and the righteous deed -- He uplifts it; but those who devise evil deeds -- theirs shall be a terrible chastisement, and their devising shall come to naught. 10 Allah created you from dust, then from a (sperm) drop. Then he made you pairs. No female conceives or is delivered except by His Knowledge. He whose life is long, whatsoever is increased or decreased of his age is in a Clear Book. Surely, that is easy for Allah. 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 causes the night to enter into the day and the day into the night. He has subjected the sun and the moon each running for a named term. Such is Allah, your Lord. To Him belongs the Kingdom; and those whom you call upon, other than Him, do not possess even as much as the membrane of a datestone. 13 If you call upon them, they will not hear your prayer, and if they heard, they would not answer you; and on the Day of Resurrection they will disown your partnership. None can tell thee like One who is aware. 14