O you assembly of jinns and men, did not apostles come to you from among you, communicating My signs to you, bringing warnings of this your day (of Doom)?" They will answer: "We bear witness to our sins." They were surely deluded by the life of the world, and bore witness against themselves because they were unbelievers. 130 Your Lord did not want to destroy the towns, unjustly, without informing their inhabitants (of His guidance). 131 For all there will be degrees in accordance with that which they did, and thy Lord is not unaware of that which they do. 132 Thy Lord is the Absolute, the Lord of Mercy. If He will, He can remove you and can cause what He will to follow after you, even as He raised you from the seed of other folk. 133 The promise that was made to you is bound to be fulfilled. It is not in your power to defeat it. 134 Say thou: O my people! go on acting in your way, verily I am going to act in my way, presently ye shall know whose will be the happy end of the abode; and verily the wrong-doers will not fare well. 135 And they appoint for Allah, of the tilth and cattle He hath produced, a portion, they say according to their fancy: this is for Allah, and this for our associate-gods. Then, that which is for their associate-gods reacheth not Allah, while that which is for Allah reacheth their associate-gods; vile is the way they judge! 136 And likewise, to many of the polytheists their partners have made [to seem] pleasing the killing of their children in order to bring about their destruction and to cover them with confusion in their religion. And if Allah had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them and that which they invent. 137 They also say: "These cattle and these crops are consecrated. None may eat of them other than those we permit," -- so they assert. "And the use of these cattle is forbidden for carrying burden." They do not pronounce the name of God on certain animals, inventing lies against Him. He will punish them for what they fabricate. 138 They say: "What is in the wombs of such and such cattle is specially reserved (for food) for our men, and forbidden to our women; but if it is still-born, then all have share therein. For their (false) attribution (of superstitions to Allah), He will soon punish them: for He is full of wisdom and knowledge. 139 Losers are they who slay their children in folly, without knowledge, and have forbidden what God has provided them, forging against God; they have gone astray, and are not right-guided. 140