And there are some who, though they say: "We believe in God and the Last Day," (in reality) do not believe. 8 They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive. 9 In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie. 10 When asked to desist from spreading corruption in the land they say: "Why, we are reformers." 11 They, certainly, are corrupt but do not realize it. 12 When they are told to believe as everyone else does, they say, "Should we believe as fools do?" In fact, they themselves are fools, but they do not know it. 13 To the believers they declare belief and, in secret to their own devils, they say, "We were only mocking". 14 Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on. 15 They are indeed those who bartered away good guidance for error and gained nothing from the deal, nor found the right way. 16 Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindled a fire; then, when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness. (So) they could not see. 17 deaf, dumb, blind -- so they shall not return; 18 Or (still another parable may be cited to depict their condition): heavy rain is falling from the sky, accompanied by pitch darkness, thunder and lightning. When they hear the thunderclap, they thrust their fingers into their ears for fear of death, but Allah is encircling the disbelievers on all sides. 19 The lightning almost snatcheth away their sight from them. As often as it flasheth forth for them they walk therein, and when it darkeneth against them they stand still. If Allah willed, He could destroy their hearing and their sight. Lo! Allah is able to do all things. 20