Who doth more wrong than he who inventeth a lie against Allah or rejecteth His signs? But verily the wrong-doers never shall prosper. 21 And on the Day when We shall gather them all together, We shall ask those who associated others with -Allah in His divinity: 'Where, now, are your partners whom you imagined (to have a share in the divinity of Allah)?' 22 Then their excuse would be nothing but that they would say: By Allah, our Lord, we were not polytheists. 23 Behold how they have lied to themselves - and [how] their false imagery has forsaken them! 24 And some of them there are that listen to thee, and We lay veils upon their hearts lest they understand it, and in their ears heaviness; and if they see any sign whatever, they do not believe in it, so that when they come to thee they dispute with thee, the unbelievers saying, 'This is naught but the fairy-tales of the ancient ones.' 25 And they prohibit others therefrom, and they withdraw therefrom, and they destroy not but their own souls while they perceive not. 26 And couldst thou see what time they shall be held over the Fire, and then they will say: would that we were sent back and now we shall not belie the signs of our Lord and we shall be of the believers. 27 No! They will say this merely because the Truth which they had concealed will become obvious to them; or else if they were sent back, they would still revert to what was forbidden to them. (So this plea of theirs would be a lie too) for they are just liars. 28 And they say: there is naught but our life of the world, nor are we to be raised. 29 If you see them when they are put before their Lord, He will say to them: "Is not this the truth?" They will answer: "Indeed, by our Lord." He will say: "Then taste the agony of punishment for what you had denied." 30