There are some people who say: 'We believe in Allah and the Last Day, 'yet they are not believers. 8 They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive. 9 In their hearts is disease, and so God lets their disease increase; and grievous suffering awaits them because of their persistent lying. 10 When they are told, "Do not cause corruption in the land," they say, "We are only promoters of peace," 11 Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not. 12 And when it is said unto them: believe as the people believe, they say: shall we believe as the foolish believe? are not they indeed the foolish? But they know not. 13 When they meet those who believe, they say, "We, too, are believers", but when they privily meet their evil geniuses, they say, "Indeed we are with you: we are only mocking at these people". 14 Allah will throw back their mockery on them, and give them rope in their trespasses; so they will wander like blind ones (To and fro). 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 example is like one who kindled a fire, and when it lit all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness. They could not see. 17 They are deaf, dumb, and blind, so they return not (to the Right Path). 18 Or, like (those who, under) a cloudburst from the sky with darkness, thunder and lightning, they thrust their fingers in their ears at the sound of every thunderclap for fear of death, and Allah encompasses the unbelievers. 19 The lightning well-nigh snatcheth away their sight; whensoever it flasheth on them, they walk therein, and when it becometh dark unto them, they stand still. And had Allah willed He would of a surety have taken away their hearing and their sights; verily Allah is over everything potent. 20