Believers, if you fear Allah, He will give you a criteria and cleanse you of your sins and forgive you. Allah is the Owner of great bounty. 29 Remember how those who bent on denying the truth plotted against you to imprison you or kill you or expel you: they schemed -- but God also schemed. God is the best of schemers. 30 And when Our communications are recited to them, they say: We have heard indeed; if we pleased we could say the like of it; this is nothing but the stories of the ancients. 31 And when they said, 'O God, if this be indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones out of heaven, or bring us a painful chastisement.' 32 But Allah would not punish them while thou wast with them, nor will He punish them while they seek forgiveness. 33 What (plea) have they that Allah should not punish them, when they debar (His servants) from the Inviolable Place of Worship, though they are not its fitting guardians. Its fitting guardians are those only who keep their duty to Allah. But most of them know not. 34 Their Salat (prayer) at the House (of Allah, i.e. the Ka'bah at Makkah) was nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. Therefore taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve. 35 Verily those who disbelieve are expending their riches in order to hinder People from the way of Allah; so they will go on expending them; thereafter they shall become an anguish unto them; then they shall be overcome. And those who disbelieve shall be gathered for Hell. 36 God will separate the wicked from the pure and will pile the wicked ones on top of one anothcr to be cast into hell. They are indeed lost. 37