۞ If God were to hasten the evil, as men try to hasten the good, their term would come to end. So We leave those who do not expect to meet Us to wander perplexed in transgression. 11 When man is afflicted with adversity he calls to Us, whether lying on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We take away his troubles, he moves away, as though he had never called to Us in affliction. In the same way, attractive have been made their deeds to the prodigals. 12 We destroyed the generations before you when they did wrong; and their messengers (from Allah) came unto them with clear proofs (of His Sovereignty) but they would not believe. Thus do We reward the guilty folk. 13 Now We have appointed you as their successors in the earth to see how you act. 14 And whenever Our manifest revelations are rehearsed unto them, those who hope not for the meeting with Us say: bring us a Qur'an other than this, or change it. Say thou: it lieth not with me to change it of my own accord; I only follow that which is revealed unto me; verily I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the torment of the Mighty Day. 15 (Muhammad), tell them, "Had God wanted I would not have recited it (the Book) to you nor would I have told you anything about it. I lived among you for a whole life-time before it was revealed. Will you then not understand? 16 Who doeth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah and denieth His revelations? Lo! the guilty never are successful. 17 And they worship the thing other than Allah, which neither harms them nor benefits them*, and they say, “These are our intercessors** before Allah”; say, “What! You inform Allah of something which in His knowledge does not exist in the heavens or in the earth?” Purity and Supremacy are to Him, above their association. (* Some things like the sun, stars, trees are useful but they too are created by Allah. Their worship will not benefit – in fact it is harmful ** Only the virtuous will be granted permission by Allah to intercede.) 18 And mankind were not but a single ccmmunity then they differed. And had not a word from thy Lord gone forth, it would have been decreed between them in respect of that wherein they differ. 19 They say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" Say: "The Unseen is only for Allah (to know), then wait ye: I too will wait with you." 20