۞ Had God hastened the punishment of men as He hastens the good, the end of their term of life would already have been reached. We leave those who do not hope to meet Us groping along in their arrogance. 11 And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he continues [in disobedience] as if he had never called upon Us to [remove] an affliction that touched him. Thus is made pleasing to the transgressors that which they have been doing 12 And certainly We did destroy generations before you when they were unjust, and their apostles had come to them with clear arguments, and they would not believe; thus do We recompense the guilty people. 13 Then We appointed you viceroys in the earth after them, that We might behold how you would do. 14 And when Our clear communications are recited to them, those who hope not for Our meeting say: Bring a Quran other than this or change it. Say: It does not beseem me that I should change it of myself; I follow naught but what is revealed to me; surely I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a mighty day. 15 Say: "Had God willed it [otherwise,] I would not have conveyed this [divine writ] unto you, nor would He have brought it to your knowledge. Indeed a whole lifetime have I dwelt among you ere this [revelation came unto me]: will you not, then, use your reason?" 16 Who is more unjust than he who imputes lies to God or denies His revelations? The sinners will surely not be reprieved. 17 And they worship, beside Allah, that which harmeth them not, nor profiteth them, and they say: these are our intercessors with God: Say thou: apprise ye Allah of that which He knoweth not in the heavens nor in the earth? Hallowed be He and Exalted far above that which ye associate! 18 Mankind was but one nation, but differed (later). Had it not been for a word that went forth before from thy Lord, their differences would have been settled between them. 19 And they say: "How is it that not a sign is sent down on him from his Lord?" Say: "The unseen belongs to Allah Alone, so wait you, verily I am with you among those who wait (for Allah's Judgement)." 20