And how many a town which was iniquitous did We demolish, and We raised up after it another people! 11 Then, when they perceived (saw) Our Torment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it. 12 [and at the same time they seemed to hear a scornful voice]: "Do not try to flee, but return to all that [once] gave you pleasure and corrupted your whole being, and [return] to your homes, so that you might be called to account [for what you have done]!" 13 They said, "Woe to us! We were indeed wrongdoers," 14 and this they kept repeating until We caused them to become like a field mowed down, and reduced to ashes. 15 And We created not the heaven and the earth and that which is in between in play. 16 Had We intended to take a pastime (i.e. a wife or a son, etc.), We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that). 17 No, We hurl truth at falsehood, and it shall conquer it, and see, falsehood vanishes. Woe to you for all you have described. 18 And His is whosoever is in the heavens and the earth; and those nigh unto Him are not too stiff-necked for His worship nor are they weary. 19 They glorify Him day and night without fail. 20 Or have they taken (for worship) aliha (gods) from the earth who raise the dead? 21 If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him! 22 None shall question Him about what He does, but they shall be questioned. 23 Have they taken gods beside Him? Say thou: forth with your proof This is an admonition unto those with me and an admonition unto those before me. But most of them knew not the truth, and so they are averters. 24 We have not sent an apostle before you without instructing him that there is no god but I, so worship Me. 25 They say 'The Merciful has taken a son' Exaltations to Him! No, they are only His honored worshipers, 26 that outstrip Him not in speech, and perform as He commands. 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 ۞ And if anyone of them were to claim: "Indeed I am a god apart from Him," We shall recompense both with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrong-doers. 29