And who could be more wicked than he who attributes his own lying inventions to God or gives the lie to His messages? Verily, such evildoers will never attain to a happy state: 21 And let them beware the Day whereon We shall gather them all together; then We shall say unto those who associated: where are your associate-gods whom ye have been asserting? 22 Then their excuse will be but to say: "By God our Lord, we were not idolaters." 23 You will see how they will lie against themselves, and all their slanderings will be vain. 24 Of them are some who listen unto thee, but We have placed upon their hearts veils, lest they should understand, and in their ears a deafness. If they saw every token they would not believe therein; to the point that, when they come unto thee to argue with thee, the disbelievers say: This is naught else than fables of the men of old. 25 Others they keep away from it, and themselves they keep away; but they only destroy their own souls, and they perceive it not. 26 If thou couldst see when they are set before the Fire and say: Oh, would that we might return! Then would we not deny the revelations of our Lord but we would 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 They say now: 'There is nothing but the life of this world, and we shall not be raised from the dead.' 29 If thou couldst see when they are stationed before their Lord! He will say, 'Is not this the truth?' They will say, 'Yes indeed, by our Lord!' He will say, 'Then taste the chastisement for your unbelief. 30