۞ If Allah should hasten evil to people as they would hasten good, their term would already have been decided. But We leave those who do not expect to meet Us to wander blindly in their insolence. 11 And when some hardship reaches man he prays to Us, while reclining and sitting and standing; and when We remove his hardship, he goes away as if he had never prayed to Us because of any hardship; this is how the deeds of the transgressors are made seeming good to them. 12 And indeed, We destroyed before your time [whole] generations when they [persistently] did evil although the apostles sent unto them brought them all evidence of the truth; for they refused to believe [them]. Thus do We requite people who are lost in sin. 13 Then We made you heirs in the land after them, to see how ye would behave! 14 AND [thus it is:] whenever Our messages are conveyed unto them in all their clarity, those who do not believe that they are destined to meet Us [are wont to] say: "Bring us a discourse other than this, or alter this one." Say [O Prophet]: "It is not conceivable that I should alter it of my own volition; I only follow what is revealed to me. Behold, I would dread, were I [thus] to rebel against my Sustainer, the suffering [which would befall me] on that awesome Day [of Judgment]!" 15 Say: "Had God willed it [otherwise,] I would not have conveyed this [divine writ] unto you, nor would He have brought it to your knowledge. Indeed a whole lifetime have I dwelt among you ere this [revelation came unto me]: will you not, then, use your reason?" 16 Who, then, is a greater wrong-doer than he who forges a lie against Allah or rejects His signs as false? Surely the guilty shall not prosper. 17 They serve, apart from God, what hurts them not neither profits them, and they say, 'These are our intercessors with God.' Say: 'Will you tell God what He knows not either in the heavens or in the earth?' Glory be to Him! High be He exalted above that they associate! 18 Once all men were but a single community; then they disagreed (and formulated different beliefs and rites). Had it not been that your Lord had already so ordained, a decisive judgement would have been made regarding their disagreements. 19 And they say, “Why is not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord?” Proclaim, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “The hidden is only for Allah, therefore wait; I too am waiting with you.” 20