And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants, and made them bear witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! we bear witness. Lest you should say on the day of resurrection: Surely we were heedless of this. 172 Or, lest they should say: "It were our fathers who had ascribed compeers to God; we are only their offspring. Will You destroy us for the deeds of those who dealt in vanities?" 173 Thus do We explain the signs in detail; and perchance they may turn (unto Us). 174 And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators. 175 Now had We so willed, We could indeed have exalted him by means of those [messages]: but he always clung to the earth and followed but his own desires. Thus, his parable is that of an [excited] dog: if thou approach him threateningly, he will pant with his tongue lolling; and if thou leave him alone, he will pant with his tongue lolling. Such is the parable of those who are bent on giving the lie to Our messages. Tell [them,] then, this story, so that they might take thought. 176 Evil is the likeness of the people who reject Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses and signs, etc.), and used to wrong their ownselves. 177 anyone whom God guides has been rightly guided; while those He lets go astray will surely be the losers. 178 And assuredly We have created for Hell many of the genii and mankind; they have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hearken not; they are like unto cattle; nay, they are further astray; those! they are the negligent ones. 179 And for Allah only are the best names, so invoke Him by them; and abandon those who depart from the truth regarding His names; they will soon receive the reward of their deeds. 180 Of those We created are a nation who guide by the truth, and by it act with justice. 181