When your Lord brings forth from their loins the offspring of the children of Adam, He makes them witnesses over themselves, (and asks): "Am I not your Lord?" 'Indeed,' they reply. 'We bear witness,' -- lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: "We were not aware of this;" 172 Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?" 173 And this is how We explain the verses in different ways, and so that they may return. 174 (Muhammad), tell them the story of the person whom We inspired with Our guidance, but who detached himself from it and who was then pursued by Satan until he turned into a rebel. 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 case of those who deny Our signs and wrong themselves. 177 He whom Allah guides is one that is guided, but he whom Allah leaves in error shall surely be the lost. 178 And certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones. 179 God has the Most Excellent Names. Call on Him by His Names and keep away from those who distort them. They shall be requited for what they do. 180 Of those We have created there are some who give true guidance and act justly. 181