Verily, God knows the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth: [and,] behold, He has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men]. 38 It is He Who has made you the successors of your predecessors in the earth; so whoever disbelieves – (the harm of) his disbelief falls only on him; and for the disbelievers, their disbelief increases nothing in their Lord’s sight except disgust; and for the disbelievers, their disbelief increases nothing for them except ruin. 39 Say, "Have you considered your 'partners' whom you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created from the earth, or have they partnership [with Him] in the heavens? Or have We given them a book so they are [standing] on evidence therefrom? [No], rather, the wrongdoers do not promise each other except delusion." 40 ۞ God holds the heavens and the earth, lest they remove; did they remove, none would hold them after Him. Surely He is All-clement, All-forgiving. 41 They solemnly swear that if a warner were to come to them, they would certainly have been better guided than any other nation. But when a warner came to them, it only increased their hatred 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 And did they not travel in the land in order to see what sort of fate befell those who were before them, whereas they exceeded them in strength? And Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or in the earth can break away from His control; indeed He is All Knowing, Able. 44 If Allah took mankind to task by that which they deserve, He would not leave a living creature on the surface of the earth; but He reprieveth them unto an appointed term, and when their term cometh - then verily (they will know that) Allah is ever Seer of His slaves. 45