How many a town (community), that were wrong-doers, have We destroyed, and raised up after them another people! 11 When they felt Our punishment coming upon them, they began to flee from it. 12 Flee not, but return to the good things of this life which were given you, and to your homes in order that ye may be called to account. 13 And they could only cry: "Oh, woe unto us! Verily, we were wrongdoers!" 14 And that cry of theirs did not cease until We caused them to become [like] a field mown down, still and silent as ashes. 15 And We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, unnecessarily. 16 If it had been Our wish to take (just) a pastime, We should surely have taken it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)! 17 We bring forward the Truth to crush and destroy falsehood; it is doomed to be banished. Woe to you for your way of thinking about God! 18 To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and the earth; and those who are with Him wax not too proud to do Him service neither grow weary, 19 They say His Purity night and day, and do not slacken. 20 Or have they taken gods out of the earth who raise the dead? 21 Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) gods besides Allah, then verily both would have been ruined. Glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above what they attribute to Him! 22 He cannot be questioned concerning what He does and they shall be questioned. 23 and yet, they choose to worship [imaginary] deities instead of Him! Say [O Prophet]: "Produce an evidence for what you are claiming: this is a reminder [unceasingly voiced] by those who are with me, just as it was a reminder [voiced] by those who came before me." But nay, most of them do not know the truth, and so they stubbornly turn away [from it] 24 And We sent not before thee an apostle but We revealed unto him that there is no god but I, so worship Me. 25 They say: "The Most Compassionate Lord has taken to Himself a son." Glory be to Him! Those whom they so designate are only His honoured servants. 26 These servants do not speak before He speaks. They simply act according to His orders. 27 He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves and for fear of Him they tremble. 28 ۞ The recompense of those of them who say that they are the Lord instead of God will be hell; thus, do We recompense the unjust ones. 29