Then there are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day", whereas they do not believe at all. 8 They wish to deceive Allah and the believers; and in fact they deceive none except themselves and they do not have any understanding. 9 In their hearts is a disease, which God has increased. They will have a painful punishment, because they have been lying. 10 When asked to desist from spreading corruption in the land they say: "Why, we are reformers." 11 Pay heed! It is they who are mischievous, but they do not have sense. 12 And when it is said to them, "Believe sincerely as the other people have believed", they reply, "Should we believe as fools have believed?" Beware! they themselves are the fools, but they know it not. 13 And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers." 14 [But] Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression [while] they wander blindly. 15 Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were 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 Deaf, dumb and blind; and they return not. 18 Or like a rainstorm from the sky, in which are darkness, thunder and lightning; they thrust their fingers in their ears due to the thunderclaps, fearing death; and Allah has the disbelievers encompassed. 19 the lightning wellnigh snatches away their sight; whensoever it gives them light, they walk in it, and when the darkness is over them, they halt; had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. Truly, God is powerful over everything. 20