AND WHENEVER thy Sustainer brings forth their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam, He [thus] calls upon them to bear witness about themselves: "Am I not your Sustainer?" - to which they answer: "Yea, indeed, we do bear witness thereto!" [Of this We remind you,] lest you say on the Day of Resurrection, "Verily, we were unaware of this"; 172 Or you should say: Only our fathers associated others (with Allah) before, and we were an offspring after them: Wilt Thou then destroy us for what the vain doers did? 173 Thus do We explain Our revelations so that they might return to (the right path). 174 Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent Our signs, but he passed them by: so Satan followed him up, and he went astray. 175 Now had We so willed We could indeed have exalted him through those signs, but he clung to earthly life and followed his carnal desires. Thus his parable is that of the dog who lolls out his tongue whether you attack him or leave him alone. Such is the parable of those who reject Our signs as false. Narrate to them these parables that they may reflect. 176 Evil is the example of the people who reject Our signs as false and perpetrate wrong against their own selves. 177 Whomever Allah guides – only he is on the right path; and whomever He sends astray – it is they who are the losers. 178 And indeed We have created many jinns and men for hell; they have hearts in which their is no understanding; and the eyes they do not see with; and the ears they do not hear with; they are like cattle – in fact more astray; it is they who are the neglectful. 179 The most beautiful names belong to Allah: so call on him by them; but shun such men as use profanity in his names: for what they do, they will soon be requited. 180 Of those We created are a nation who guide by the truth, and by it act with justice. 181