Whenever We let mankind taste mercy after some adversity has afflicted them, they forthwith turn to devising false arguments against Our signs. Say, "God is swifter in His devising! Our angels are recording your intrigues." 21 It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from everywhere and they assume that they are surrounded, supplicating Allah, sincere to Him in religion, "If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful." 22 But when He has delivered them, they begin, wrongfully to commit excesses in the land. O you men, your excesses only affect your own selves. Have the enjoyment of the present life. Then to Us you shall return; and We will inform you of all that you have done. 23 The life of the world is like the water which We send down from the sky, and which is absorbed by the plants of the earth, from which men and cattle eat. But when the earth has taken on its finest appearance, and looks beautiful, and its people think they have it under their control, then by day or by night, Our command comes to it and We convert it into a field of stubble, as if nothing had existed there the day before. Thus We make plain Our revelations for those who reflect. 24 And Allah summoneth to the abode of peace, and leadeth whom He will to a straight path. 25 ۞ For the people of virtue, is goodness and more than that; and neither will the blackness nor disgrace come upon their faces; it is they who are the people of Paradise; they will abide in it forever. 26 The recompense for the evil deeds will be equally evil (not more) and the faces of the evil-doers will suffer from disgrace. No one can protect them from the wrath of God. Their faces will become dark as if covered by the pitch-darkness of night. They will be the dwellers of hell wherein they will remain forever. 27 And on the day when We will gather them all together, then We will say to those who associated others (with Allah): Keep where you are, you and your associates; then We shall separate them widely one from another and their associates would say: It was not us that you served: 28 Allah sufficeth as a witness between us and you, that we were unaware of your worship. 29 Thereupon everyone shall taste the recompense of his past deeds. All shall be sent back to Allah, their true Lord, and then all the falsehoods they had fabricated will have forsaken them. 30