And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day" while in fact they believe not. 8 They seek to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive none except themselves, though they do not sense it. 9 In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie. 10 And when it said unto them: act not corruptly on the earth, they say: we are but reconcilers. 11 Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not. 12 When asked to believe as others do, they say: "Should we believe like fools?" And yet they are the fools, even though they do not know. 13 When they meet those who believe, they say, "We, too, are believers", but when they privily meet their evil geniuses, they say, "Indeed we are with you: we are only mocking at these people". 14 God will requite them for their mockery, and will leave them for a while in their overweening arrogance, blindly stumbling to and fro: 15 Such are those who barter away guidance for error, their trade did not profit (them), nor are they guided. 16 Their condition may be described in a parable: a man kindled a fire and when it illuminated all around him, Allah took away the light from their eyes and left them in utter darkness, where they could not see anything. 17 They are deaf, dumb and blind, and shall never return; 18 Or [the parable] of a violent cloudburst in the sky, with utter darkness, thunder and lightning: they put their fingers into their ears to keep out the peals of thunder, in terror of death; but God encompasses [with His might] all who deny the truth. 19 The lightning well-nigh takes away their sight; whenever it gives them light, they advance therein, and whenever darkness falls around them, they stand still. And if God so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight: for, verily, God has the power to will anything. 20