And many a township did We destroy, for they were unjust, and We created other nations after them. 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 this they kept repeating until We caused them to become like a field mowed down, and reduced to ashes. 15 And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play. 16 Had We wished to make a diversion, We would have made it from before Ourselves: by no means would We do (it). 17 Nay, but We hurl the true against the false, and it doth break its head and lo! it vanisheth. And yours will be woe for that which ye ascribe (unto Him). 18 To Him belongs all those who are in the heavens and the earth. Those who are closer to Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they get tired of worshipping. 19 glorifying Him by night and in the daytime and never failing. 20 Or have they taken gods out of the earth who raise the dead? 21 Had there been any gods in the heavens and the earth apart from Allah, the order of both the heavens and the earth would have gone to ruins. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the Throne, Who is far above their false descriptions of Him. 22 He cannot be questioned about what He does, but they will 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 you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, 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 They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by His Command. 27 He knows all that lies open before them and all that is hidden from them: hence, they cannot intercede for any but those whom He has [already] graced with His goodly acceptance, since they themselves stand in reverent awe of Him. 28 ۞ And if anyone of them were to claim: "Indeed I am a god apart from Him," We shall recompense both with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrong-doers. 29