Verily Allah is the Knower of the unseen of the heavens and the earth. Verily, He is the Knower of that which is in the breasts. 38 It is He who has made you successors upon the earth. And whoever disbelieves - upon him will be [the consequence of] his disbelief. And the disbelief of the disbelievers does not increase them in the sight of their Lord except in hatred; and the disbelief of the disbelievers does not increase them except in loss. 39 Say thou: what bethink ye of your associate-gods upon which ye call besides Allah? Show me whatsoever they have created of the earth. Or, have they any partnership in the heavens? Or have We vouchsafed to them a Book so that they stand on an evidence therefrom? Nay! the wrong-doers promise each other only delusions. 40 ۞ Lo! Allah graspeth the heavens and the earth that they deviate not, and if they were to deviate there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Lo! He is ever Clement, Forgiving. 41 And they swore by Allah, their most binding oath, that if a warner came unto them they would be more tractable than any of the nations; yet, when a warner came unto them it aroused in them naught save repugnance, 42 On account of their arrogance in the land and their plotting of Evil, but the plotting of Evil will hem in only the authors thereof. Now are they but looking for the way the ancients were dealt with? But no change wilt thou find in Allah's way (of dealing): no turning off wilt thou find in Allah's way (of dealing). 43 What, have they not journeyed in the land and beheld how was the end of those before them? They were stronger than themselves in might; but God -- there is naught in the heavens or the earth that can frustrate Him. Surely He is All-knowing, All-powerful. 44 And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving (living) creature on the surface of the earth, but He gives them respite to an appointed term, and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever AllSeer of His slaves. 45