Is he, then, whose evil work hath been made fair-seeming unto him, so that he deemeth it good, be as he who rightly perceiveth the truth? Verily Allah sendeth astray whomsoever He listeth, and guideth whomsoever He listeth; so let not thine soul expire after them in sighings; verily Allah is the Knower of that which they perform. 8 And it is Allah Who sent the winds – so they raise clouds and We then direct it towards a dead city – so with it We revive the earth after its death; and this is how the resurrection will be. 9 Whosoever desires honour (should remember) that all honour is with God. All good words ascend to Him, and all good deeds He exalts. As for those who are plotting evil, there is severe punishment for them, and their plots will be fruitless. 10 And Allah created you of dust, then of the life-germ, then He made you pairs; and no female bears, nor does she bring forth, except with His knowledge; and no one whose life is lengthened has his life lengthened, nor is aught diminished of one's life, but it is all in a book; surely this is easy to Allah. 11 [Easy is it for Him to create likeness and variety:] thus, the two great bodies of water [on earth] are not alike the one sweet, thirst-allaying, pleasant to drink, and the other salty and bitter: and yet, from either of them do you eat fresh meat, and [from either] you take gems which you may wear; and on either thou canst see ships ploughing through the waves, so that you might [be able to] go forth in quest of some of His bounty, and thus have cause to be grateful. 12 He merges Night into Day, and he merges Day into Night, and he has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law): each one runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah your Lord: to Him belongs all Dominion. And those whom ye invoke besides Him have not the least power. 13 You pray to them, but they do not hear your call; and even if they heard you, they could not answer your prayer; and on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your having worshipped them. None can acquaint you (with the reality) as He who is informed of everything. 14