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 On the Day of Judgment when We will gather all people together, We will ask the pagans, "Where are those whom you believed to be your gods?" 22 Then their excuse would be nothing but that they would say: By Allah, our Lord, we were not polytheists. 23 Behold, how they will lie against themselves and how their forged deities will forsake them! 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 They keep away from the faith and forbid others to accept it. They destroy no one except themselves, yet they do not realize it. 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 some [of the unbelievers] say: "There is nothing beyond our life in this world, for We shall not be raised from the dead." 29 And could you see when they are made to stand before their Lord. He will say: Is not this the truth? They will say: Yea! by our Lord. He will say: Taste then the chastisement because you disbelieved. 30