It is Allah that takes the souls (of men) at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (to their bodies) for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect. 42 Or have they taken others instead of Allah as intercessors? Say: “Will they intercede though they may have no power and though they may not even understand?” 43 Proclaim, “To Allah only* belongs all the intercession! For Him only is the kingship of the heavens and the earth; and then it is towards you have to return.” (*Allah does not intercede – He gives the permission to intercede with Him, to whomever He wills.) 44 And yet, whenever God alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who will not believe in the life to come contract with bitter aversion - whereas, when those [imaginary powers] are mentioned side by side with Him, lo, they rejoice! 45 Say: "O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of all that is hidden and open! it is Thou that wilt judge between Thy Servants in those matters about which they have differed." 46 And though those who do wrong possess all that is in the earth, and therewith as much again, they verily will seek to ransom themselves therewith on the Day of Resurrection from the awful doom; and there will appear unto them, from their Lord, that wherewith they never reckoned. 47 Their bad deeds will become public and they will be surrounded by the torment which they had mocked during their worldly life. 48 When affliction befalls man, he appeals to Us; but when We bestow a favour upon him he says, "All this has been given to me because of my own knowledge." By no means! It is a trial: yet most of them do not realize it. 49 Those before them did say it indeed, but what they earned availed them not. 50 Then the worst of what they had done overtook them. So will the evil deeds of those who are sinners among them recoil back on them. They cannot get the better (of Us). 51 Do they not know that God grants abundant sustenance to anyone He wishes and gives sparingly to anyone He pleases? Surely there are signs in this for those who believe. 52