Who is more wicked than he who invents a lie about Allah or belies His verses? The harmdoers shall never prosper. 21 One day shall We gather them all together: We shall say to those who ascribed partners (to Us): "Where are the partners whom ye (invented and) talked about?" 22 Then they will have no excuse but to say: by God our Lord, we have not been associaters. 23 Consider, how they have lied against their own souls and have lost their gods. 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 And they stop (others) from it and run away from it; and they ruin none except themselves, and they do not have sense. 26 If you should see them when they are stood before the Fire, they will say: "Ah would that we were sent back (to the world)! We shall not deny the signs of our Lord, and be among those who believe." 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 none but our worldly life, and we will not be resurrected." 29 If you could only see when they are made to stand before their Lord! He will ask them, "Is this [second life] not the truth?" They will say, "Yes, by our Lord!" He will say, "Then, taste the punishment that comes from your having refused to acknowledge the truth!" 30