And We have indeed illustrated all kinds of examples for mankind in this Qur’an; and man is the most quarrelsome of all. 54 What prevents people from having faith when guidance comes to them or from asking for forgiveness from their Lord before they face the kind of torment that the ancient people experienced or a new form of torment. 55 And We send not apostles save as bringers of glad tidings and warners; and those who disbelieve dispute with falsehood that they rebut thereby the truth; and they take My signs and that whereof they are warned as a mockery. 56 And who doth greater wrong than he who hath been reminded of the revelations of his Lord, yet turneth away from them and forgetteth what his hands send forward (to the Judgment)? Lo! on their hearts We have placed coverings so that they understand not, and in their ears a deafness. And though thou call them to the guidance, in that case they can never be led aright. 57 Thy Lord is the Forgiver, Full of Mercy. If He took them to task (now) for what they earn, He would hasten on the doom for them; but theirs is an appointed term from which they will find no escape. 58 as [was the case with all] those communities that We destroyed when they went on and on doing wrong: for We had set a time-limit for their destruction. 59