How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their iniquities, setting up in their places other peoples? 11 And when they felt Our Might they fled from it. 12 'Run not! Return you unto the luxury that you exulted in, and your dwelling-places; haply you shall be questioned.' 13 "Woe, alas," they said, "we were really sinful." 14 and this they kept repeating until We caused them to become like a field mowed down, and reduced to ashes. 15 It was not in play that We created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them. 16 Had it been Our will to find a pastime, We would have found one near at hand; if at all We were inclined to do so. 17 We bring forward the Truth to crush and destroy falsehood; it is doomed to be banished. Woe to you for your way of thinking about God! 18 To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire. 19 They never fail to exalt Him either at night or in the day. 20 Have they taken gods from the earth who raise the deed? 21 Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe. 22 He cannot be called to account for whatever He does, whereas they will be called to account: 23 Have they taken gods besides God? Say: "Then bring your proof. Here is the Book of those who are with me, and the Book of those who have gone before me." But most men do not know the truth and turn away. 24 And We did not send any Noble Messenger before you, but We divinely revealed to him that, “There is no God except I (Allah), therefore worship Me alone.” 25 And [yet,] some say: "The Most Gracious has taken unto Himself a son"! Limitless is He in His glory! Nay, [those whom they regard as God's "offspring" are but His] honoured servants: 26 They precede Him not in words, and by His command they work. 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 ۞ If any of them says, 'I am a god apart from Him', such a one We recompense with Gehenna; even so We recompense the evildoers. 29