And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware." 172 or lest you say: "Verily, it was but our forefathers who, in times gone by, began to ascribe divinity to other beings beside God; and we were but their late offspring: wilt Thou, then, destroy us for the doings of those inventors of falsehoods?" 173 That is how We explain Our signs distinctly so that they may come back (to the right path). 174 And recite thou unto them the story of him unto whom We vouchsafed Our signs, but he sloughed them off, wherefore the Satan followed him, and he became of the perverted. 175 And if We had pleased, We would certainly have exalted him thereby; but he clung to the earth and followed his low desire, so his parable is as the parable of the dog; if you attack him he lolls out his tongue; and if you leave him alone he lolls out his tongue; this is the parable of the people who reject Our communications; therefore relate the narrative that they may reflect. 176 Evil is the case of those who deny Our signs and wrong themselves. 177 Whomsoever Allah guides, he is the one who follows the right way; and whomsoever He causes to err, these are the losers. 178 We created many of the jinn and mankind for hell. They have hearts they do not understand with; they have eyes they do not see with; and they have ears they do not hear with. Such people are like cattle -- no, they are even more misguided. Such are the heedless. 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 And of those whom We have created there is a community guiding others with truth and acting justly according thereto. 181