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 for one Day We shall gather them all together, and then We shall say unto those who ascribed divinity to aught beside God: "Where, now, are those beings whom you imagined to have a share in God's divinity?" 22 There will then be (left) no subterfuge for them but to say: "By Allah our Lord, we were not those who joined gods with Allah." 23 Behold! how they lied against themselves! and then failed them that which they had been fabricating. 24 And among them are those who listen to you, but We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. Even when they come to you arguing with you, those who disbelieve say, "This is not but legends of the former peoples." 25 And they forbid it, and keep afar from it, and it is only themselves they destroy, but they are not aware. 26 If you could see them when they are set before the Fire! They will say: 'Would that we could return! Then we would not belie the verses of our Lord and would be believers' 27 But nay - [they will say this only because] the truth which they used to conceal [from themselves] in the past will have become obvious to them; and if they were brought back [to life,] they would return to the very thing which was forbidden to them: for behold, they are indeed liars! 28 And they say: there is naught but our life of the world, nor are we to be raised. 29 If you could but see when they will be made to stand before their Lord. He will say, "Is this not the truth?" They will say, "Yes, by our Lord." He will [then] say, "So taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve." 30