And many a township did We destroy, for they were unjust, and We created other nations after them. 11 And when they tasted Our punishment, they immediately started fleeing from it. 12 'Run not! Return you unto the luxury that you exulted in, and your dwelling-places; haply you shall be questioned.' 13 They said: woe unto us! verily we have been wrong-doers. 14 And that cry of theirs did not cease until We caused them to become [like] a field mown down, still and silent as ashes. 15 We created not the heaven and the earth, and whatsoever between them is, as playing; 16 Had We wanted to play games, We could have certainly done so with things at hand. 17 We bring forward the Truth to crush and destroy falsehood; it is doomed to be banished. Woe to you for your way of thinking about God! 18 To Him belongs whosoever dwells in the heavens and on earth. Those (angels) that are with Him neither disdain to serve Him out of pride, nor do they weary of it. 19 Nor cease to endeavour praising Him night and day. 20 Or have they taken (for worship) gods from the earth who can raise (the dead)? 21 Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe. 22 He will not be questioned about anything He does, but all people will be questioned about their deeds. 23 Or have they chosen other gods beside Him? say: Bring your proof (of their godhead). This is the Reminder of those with me and those before me, but most of them know not the Truth and so they are averse. 24 And We did not send before you any apostle but We revealed to him that there is no god but Me, therefore serve Me. 25 And they say: The Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son. Be He Glorified! Nay, but (those whom they call sons) are honoured slaves; 26 They do not speak before He has, and they act only at His command. 27 He knows all that lies open before them and all that is hidden from them: hence, they cannot intercede for any but those whom He has [already] graced with His goodly acceptance, since they themselves stand in reverent awe of Him. 28 ۞ If any one of them says: 'I am a god other than Him' We will recompense him with Gehenna (Hell). As such We recompense the harmdoers. 29