“O you groups of jinns and men! Did not the Noble Messengers amongst you come to you reciting My verses and warning you of confronting this day?” They will say, “We testify against ourselves” – and the worldly life deceived them and they will testify against themselves that they were disbelievers. 130 This is because your Lord would not destroy the (populations of) towns for their wrong-doing (i.e. associating others in worship along with Allah) while their people were unaware (so the Messengers were sent). 131 All have degrees according to what they have done; thy Lord is not heedless of the things they do. 132 And your Lord is the Self-sufficient one, the Lord of mercy; if He pleases, He may take you off, and make whom He pleases successors after you, even as He raised you up from the seed of another people. 133 Verily that which ye are promised is sure to arrive, and ye cannot escape. 134 Say, "O my people! Go on acting in your way; indeed I am going to act in my way; soon you will know whose end will be best in the Hereafter." Surely, the wrongdoers shall not prosper. 135 They set aside for God a share in what He has produced, such as crops and livestock, and they say, "This is for God," so they claim!, and "this is for our associate-gods?" Their associate-gods' share does not reach God, whereas God's share reaches their associate-gods. How ill they judge! 136 And similarly, their partners (the devils) have made the killing of their children seem righteous in the sight of many of the polytheists, in order to ruin them and make their religion blurred to them; and if Allah willed they would not do so, therefore leave them alone with their fabrications. 137 And they say: "Such-and-such cattle and fruits of the field are sacred; none may eat thereof save those whom we will [to do so]" - so they [falsely] claim; and [they declare that] it is forbidden to burden the backs of certain kinds of cattle; and there are cattle over which they do not pronounce God's name - falsely attributing [the origin of these customs] to Him. [But] He will requite them for all their false imagery. 138 They have also said, "Whatever exists in the wombs of these animals belongs to our people alone and it is not lawful for our women." However, if they are born dead, then everyone will have a share. God will give them what they deserve for (their unjust laws). God is All-merciful and All-knowing. 139 Losers are they who slay their children in folly, without knowledge, and have forbidden what God has provided them, forging against God; they have gone astray, and are not right-guided. 140