Lost indeed are they who treat it as a falsehood that they must meet Allah,- until on a sudden the hour is on them, and they say: "Ah! woe unto us that we took no thought of it"; for they bear their burdens on their backs, and evil indeed are the burdens that they bear? 31 The life of this world is but playing and an amusement. Surely, the Everlasting home is better for the cautious. Will you not understand? 32 (O Muhammad!) We know indeed that the things they say grieve you, though in truth it is not you whom they give the lie to, but it is the signs of Allah that these wrong-doers reject. 33 And certainly apostles before you were rejected, but they were patient on being rejected and persecuted until Our help came to them; and there is none to change the words of Allah, and certainly there has come to you some information about the apostles. 34 And if their backsliding is hard unto thee, then seek out, if thou canst, an opening into the earth or a ladder to the heaven that thou mayst bring unto them a sign. And had Allah willed, He would have assembled them unto the guidance; wherefore be not thou of the ignorant. 35 ۞ Only those respond who hearken. And as to the dead, Allah will raise them, and thereafter unto Him they shall be returned. 36 And they say: 'Why has no miraculous sign been sent down to him from his Lord?' Say: 'Surely Allah has the power to send down a sign, but most of them do not know. 37 No creature is there crawling on the earth, no bird flying with its wings, but they are nations like unto yourselves. We have neglected nothing in the Book; then to their Lord they shall be mustered. 38 And they who reject Our communications are deaf and dumb, in utter darkness; whom Allah pleases He causes to err and whom He pleases He puts on the right way. 39 Say, "Tell me if the punishment of God came upon you or the Hour overtook you, would you call upon any other than God, if you are truthful?" 40 No, it is Him [alone] you would invoke, and He would remove that for which you invoked Him if He willed, and you would forget what you associate [with Him]. 41