And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but 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 A sickness exists in their hearts to which God adds more sickness. Besides this, they will suffer a painful punishment as a result of the lie which they speak. 10 And when it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "We are only peacemakers." 11 But it is they who are the evildoers, though they do not sense it. 12 And when it is said to them: Believe as the people believe, they say: Shall we believe as the fools believe? Now surely they themselves are the fools, but they do not know. 13 And when they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe," but when they are alone with their Shayatin (devils - polytheists, hypocrites, etc.), they say: "Truly, we are with you; verily, we were but mocking." 14 God will requite them for their mockery, and will leave them for a while in their overweening arrogance, blindly stumbling 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 condition may be described in a parable: a man kindled a fire and when it illuminated all around him, Allah took away the light from their eyes and left them in utter darkness, where they could not see anything. 17 Deaf, dumb and blind; and they are not to return. 18 Or (still another parable may be cited to depict their condition): heavy rain is falling from the sky, accompanied by pitch darkness, thunder and lightning. When they hear the thunderclap, they thrust their fingers into their ears for fear of death, but Allah is encircling the disbelievers on all sides. 19 The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent. 20