How many a wrong-doing town did We shatter and then raise up another people. 11 Whensoever they sensed Our punishment they fled from them. 12 Do not fly (now) and come back to what you were made to lead easy lives in and to your dwellings, haply you will be questioned. 13 They said: 'Alas for us we were harmdoers' 14 And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is mown, as ashes silent and quenched. 15 And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play. 16 had We desired to take to Us a diversion We would have taken it to Us from Ourselves, had We done aught. 17 But in fact We hurl the truth upon falsehood, so it scatters its brains – thereupon it vanishes; and for you is the ruin due to the matters you fabricate. 18 To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on the earth and those that are with Him are never too proud to worship Him, nor do they grow weary; 19 glorifying Him by night and in the daytime and never failing. 20 And yet some people choose to worship certain earthly things or beings as deities that [are supposed to] resurrect [the dead; and they fail to realize that,] 21 Had there been in between the twain gods except Allah surely the twain would have gone to ruin. Hallowed be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, from that which they utter! 22 He cannot be questioned concerning what He does and they shall be questioned. 23 Have they chosen other gods besides God? (Muhammad), ask them, "Show the proof (in support of such belief). This is (the Quran) which tells us about the (beliefs of the people) in my time and those who lived before me." Most of them do not know. Moreover, the truth is that they neglect (the question of belief altogether). 24 And We sent not before thee an apostle but We revealed unto him that there is no god but I, so worship Me. 25 They say: "The Most Compassionate Lord has taken to Himself a son." Glory be to Him! Those whom they so designate are only His honoured servants. 26 They did not precede Him in their speech, and acted on His command. 27 He knows whatever is before them and whatsoever is remote from them and they do not intercede except for him, intercession on whose behalf pleases Him, and they stand constantly in awe of Him. 28 ۞ The recompense of those of them who say that they are the Lord instead of God will be hell; thus, do We recompense the unjust ones. 29