۞ Had God hastened the punishment of men as He hastens the good, the end of their term of life would already have been reached. We leave those who do not hope to meet Us groping along in their arrogance. 11 When the human being is affected by hardship, he starts to pray while lying on his side, sitting or standing, but when We relieve him from hardship, he starts to act as though he had never prayed to Us to save him from the misfortune. This is how transgressors' deeds are made attractive to them. 12 We destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong; and their messengers (from Allah) came unto them with clear proofs (of His Sovereignty) but they would not believe. Thus do We reward the guilty folk. 13 And thereupon We made you their successors on earth, so that We might behold how you act. 14 And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Bring us a Qur'an other than this or change it." Say, [O Muhammad], "It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day." 15 Say (Prophet Muhammad): 'Had Allah willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. I lived among you all my life before it (was sent down). Will you not understand? 16 Who is more unjust than the man who invents a falsehood about God or denies His signs? Surely, the guilty shall never prosper. 17 And they worship the thing other than Allah, which neither harms them nor benefits them*, and they say, “These are our intercessors** before Allah”; say, “What! You inform Allah of something which in His knowledge does not exist in the heavens or in the earth?” Purity and Supremacy are to Him, above their association. (* Some things like the sun, stars, trees are useful but they too are created by Allah. Their worship will not benefit – in fact it is harmful ** Only the virtuous will be granted permission by Allah to intercede.) 18 Mankind were but one community; then they differed; and had it not been for a word that had already gone forth from thy Lord it had been judged between them in respect of that wherein they differ. 19 And they will say: If only a portent were sent down upon him from his Lord! Then say, (O Muhammad): The Unseen belongeth to Allah. So wait! Lo! I am waiting with you. 20