And how many a city which was unjust have We shattered and produced after it another people. 11 Yet, when they felt Our Punishment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it. 12 Do not fly (now) and come back to what you were made to lead easy lives in and to your dwellings, haply you will be questioned. 13 They said: "Ah! woe to us! We were indeed wrong-doers!" 14 And this ceased not to be their cry till We made them cut off, extinct. 15 And We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, unnecessarily. 16 had We desired to take to Us a diversion We would have taken it to Us from Ourselves, had We done aught. 17 Nay, but [by the very act of creation] We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes the latter: and lo! it withers away. But woe unto you for all your [attempts at] defining [God] 18 Whosoever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him; and those who are near Him do not disdain to worship Him or weary (of His service), 19 they glorify Him night and day without tiring. 20 Have they taken gods from the earth who raise the deed? 21 Had there been gods apart from God, both (the heavens and the earth) would have been despoiled. Much too glorious is God, the Lord of the mighty throne, for things they assert! 22 He shall be questioned not as to that which He doth, while they shall be questioned. 23 Or have they set up other Gods besides Allah? Say, “Bring your proof; this is the remembrance of those with me and those before me”; but in fact most of them do not know the Truth, so they turn away. 24 and [this despite the fact that even] before thy time We never sent any apostle without having revealed to him that there is no deity save Me, - [and that,] therefore, you shall worship Me [alone]! 25 They say: "The Most Compassionate Lord has taken to Himself a son." Glory be to Him! Those whom they so designate are only His honoured servants. 26 They do not precede Him in speech and (only) according to His commandment do they act. 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 whosoever of them should say: verily I am a god beside Him, such a one We shall requite with Hell; thus We requite the wrong-doers. 29