[And thus will God continue:] "O you who have lived in close communion with [evil] invisible beings and [like-minded] humans! Have there not come unto you apostles from among yourselves, who conveyed unto you My messages and warned you of the coming of this your Day [of Judgment]?" They will answer: "We do bear witness against ourselves!" - for the life of this world had beguiled them: and so they will bear witness against themselves that they had been denying the truth. 130 This is because your Lord would not destroy the (populations of) towns for their wrong-doing (i.e. associating others in worship along with Allah) while their people were unaware (so the Messengers were sent). 131 All have degrees according to what they have done; thy Lord is not heedless of the things they do. 132 Your Lord is Self-sufficient and Merciful. Had He wanted, He could have destroyed you and replaced you by other people, just as He had created you from the offspring of others. 133 Surely what you are threatened with must come to pass and you cannot escape (it). 134 Say (O Muhammad!): 'O people! Work in your place; and I too am at work. Soon you will know in whose favour the ultimate decision will be. Surely the wrong-doers will not prosper.' 135 They set aside a share of the left-overs of their farming produce and cattle saying, "This is for God and that is for the idols." God does not receive the share of the idols but the share of God is given totally to the idols. How terrible is their decision! 136 And, likewise, the beings supposed to have a share in Allah's divinity have made the slaying of their offspring seem lawful to many of those who associate others with Allah in His divinity so that they may ruin them and confound them regarding their faith. If Allah had so willed, they would not have done that. Leave them alone to persist in their fabrication. 137 They also say: "These cattle and these crops are consecrated. None may eat of them other than those we permit," -- so they assert. "And the use of these cattle is forbidden for carrying burden." They do not pronounce the name of God on certain animals, inventing lies against Him. He will punish them for what they fabricate. 138 And they say: "All that is in the wombs of such-and-such cattle is reserved for our males and forbidden to our women; but if it be stillborn, then both may have their share thereof." [God] will requite them for all that they [falsely] attribute [to Him]: behold, He is wise, all-knowing. 139 Lost, indeed, are they who, in their weak-minded ignorance, slay their children and declare as forbidden that which God has provided for them as sustenance, falsely ascribing [such prohibitions] to God: they have gone astray and have not found the right path. 140