God knows what any female bears [in her womb,] and by how much the wombs may fall short [in gestation,] and by how much they may increase [the average period]: for with Him everything is [created] in accordance with its scope and purpose. 8 the Knower of the unseen and the visible, the All-great, the All-exalted: 9 It makes no difference whether you converse in secret or aloud, whether you hide under the cloak of night or walk about freely in the light of day. 10 For him are angels in succession, before him and behind him; they guard him with Allah's command. Verily Allah altereth not that which is with a people until they alter that which is with themselves. And when Allah intendeth evil unto a people there is no turning it back; nor is for them, beside Him, any patron. 11 It is He who shows you the lightning, for fear and hope, and Who produces laden clouds. 12 The thunder sings His praises, and the angels too, for awe of Him. He sends thunder-bolts and strikes whosoever He will with them: Even then it is God they contend about! But mighty is He in (His) power. 13 To Him is due the true prayer; and those whom they pray to besides Allah give them no answer, but (they are) like one who stretches forth his two hands towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it will not reach it; and the prayer of the unbelievers is only in error. 14 All who dwell in the heavens and earth shall prostrate themselves before Allah, either willingly or unwillingly; as do their shadows in the mornings and evenings. ۩ 15 Say: 'Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth' Say: 'Allah' Say: 'Why then have you chosen guardians other than Him, even though they have neither the power to benefit nor harm themselves' Say: 'Are the blind and the seeing equal? Are darkness and light equal? Or, have they ascribed to Allah associates who create as He creates so that all creation is alike to them?" Say: 'Allah is the Creator of everything. He is the One, the Conqueror' 16 He sendeth down water from the sky, so that valleys flow according to their measure, and the flood beareth (on its surface) swelling foam - from that which they smelt in the fire in order to make ornaments and tools riseth a foam like unto it - thus Allah coineth (the similitude of) the true and the false. Then, as for the foam, it passeth away as scum upon the banks, while, as for that which is of use to mankind, it remaineth in the earth. Thus Allah coineth the similitudes. 17 For those who answered Allah's call is bliss; and for those who answered not His call, if they had all that is in the earth, and therewith the like thereof, they would proffer it as ransom. Such will have a woeful reckoning, and their habitation will be hell, a dire abode. 18