۞ If God should hasten unto men evil as they would hasten good, their term would be already decided for them. But We leave those, who look not to encounter Us, in their insolence wandering blindly. 11 And when some hardship reaches man he prays to Us, while reclining and sitting and standing; and when We remove his hardship, he goes away as if he had never prayed to Us because of any hardship; this is how the deeds of the transgressors are made seeming good to them. 12 We destroyed generations before you when they did evil. (When) their Messengers came to them with clear verses they would not believe; so We recompense the sinning nation. 13 Now We have appointed you as their successors in the earth to see how you act. 14 And when Our clear communications are recited to them, those who hope not for Our meeting say: Bring a Quran other than this or change it. Say: It does not beseem me that I should change it of myself; I follow naught but what is revealed to me; surely I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a mighty day. 15 (Muhammad), tell them, "Had God wanted I would not have recited it (the Book) to you nor would I have told you anything about it. I lived among you for a whole life-time before it was revealed. Will you then not understand? 16 Who is then more unjust than who forges a lie against Allah or (who) gives the lie to His communications? Surely the guilty shall not be successful. 17 And they worship, beside Allah, that which harmeth them not, nor profiteth them, and they say: these are our intercessors with God: Say thou: apprise ye Allah of that which He knoweth not in the heavens nor in the earth? Hallowed be He and Exalted far above that which ye associate! 18 And mankind was not but one community [united in religion], but [then] they differed. And if not for a word that preceded from your Lord, it would have been judged between them [immediately] concerning that over which they differ. 19 They say, 'Why has a sign not been sent down upon him from his Lord?' Say: 'The Unseen belongs only to God. Then watch and wait; I shall be with you watching and waiting.' 20