۞ 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 affliction touches a man, he calls on Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove his affliction from him, he passes on as though he had never called on Us on account of an affliction that touched him; thus that which they do is made fair-seeming to the extravagant. 12 And certainly We did destroy generations before you when they were unjust, and their apostles had come to them with clear arguments, and they would not believe; thus do We recompense the guilty people. 13 We have made you their successors in the land so that We could see how you behaved. 14 And whenever Our manifest revelations are rehearsed unto them, those who hope not for the meeting with Us say: bring us a Qur'an other than this, or change it. Say thou: it lieth not with me to change it of my own accord; I only follow that which is revealed unto me; verily I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the torment of the Mighty Day. 15 Say thou: had Allah so willed, I would not have rehearsed it unto you, nor would He have acquainted you therewith. Of a surety I have tarried among you a lifetime before it. Would ye not then reflect? 16 Who doeth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah and denieth His revelations? Lo! the guilty never are 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