۞ 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 harm toucheth man, he calleth us on his side, or sitting or standing; then when We have removed his harm from him, he passeth on as though he had never called Us to a harm that touched him. In this wise is made fairseeming unto the extravagant that which they have been working. 12 And assuredly We have destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong, while their apostles came unto them with the evidences, and they were not such as to believe. In this wise We requite the sinning people. 13 Then We appointed you as successors in the land after them, that We might see how ye would work. 14 And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them, they who look not for the meeting with Us say: Bring a Lecture other than this, or change it. Say (O Muhammad): It is not for me to change it of my accord. I only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo! if I disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an awful Day. 15 Say: "If Allah had so willed, I should not have rehearsed it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. A whole life-time before this have I tarried amongst you: will ye not then understand?" 16 Who then is a greater wrong doer than he who fabricateth a lie against Allah or belieth His revelations? Verily He will not let the culprits fare well. 17 And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: "These are our intercessors with Allah." Say: "Do you inform Allah of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?" Glorified and Exalted be He above all that which they associate as partners with Him! 18 Mankind were only one nation* and then they differed, and had it not been for a promise** from your Lord, the matters in which they differed would have been decided here itself. (* On one proper faith. ** The account on the Last Day.) 19 They say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" Say: "The Unseen is only for Allah (to know), then wait ye: I too will wait with you." 20