And of mankind are some who say: we believe in Allah and in the Last Day: whereas they are not believers. 8 They deceive God and the believers. However, they have deceived no one but themselves, a fact of which they are not aware. 9 In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: And grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves). 10 When it is said to them, 'Do not corrupt in the land,' they reply, 'We are only reformers.' 11 Yet they are surely mischief-mongers, even though they do not know. 12 When asked to believe as others do, they say: "Should we believe like fools?" And yet they are the fools, even though they do not know. 13 When they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe." But when they are alone with their evil leaders, they say, "We are really with you; we were only mocking." 14 Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on. 15 These are the people who have bartered away Guidance for error, but this is a profitless bargain that they have made, and they are not at all on the right way. 16 Their condition may be described in a parable: a man kindled a fire and when it illuminated all around him, Allah took away the light from their eyes and left them in utter darkness, where they could not see anything. 17 They are deaf, blind, and dumb and cannot regain their senses. 18 Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers. 19 The lightning well-nigh takes away their sight; whenever it gives them light, they advance therein, and whenever darkness falls around them, they stand still. And if God so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight: for, verily, God has the power to will anything. 20