Allah knows what every female bears in her womb: He is fully aware of what is taking shape in the womb and also what decrease or increase occurs therein.17 Everything has its fixed measure with Him. He has perfect knowledge both of the visible and the invisible. He is the Great and the Supreme Being. Alike to Him are all of you, whether One of you whispers or speaks aloud or one hides oneself under the cover of the darkness of night or walks about in the broad day light. For each person has guardians before him and behind him, who watch over him by Allah's command.18 The fact is that Allah does not change a people's lot unless they themselves change their own characteristics: and when Allah decides to bring about retribution to a people, none can ward it off, nor can they find any defender or helper against Allah.19 It is He Who makes the lightning flash before you to fill you both with fear and with hope: it is He Who produces clouds laden with water. The thunder glorifies Him with His praise20 and the angels, too, glorify Him in awe of Him.21 He lets loose thunderbolts and (often) smites with them whomsoever He wills, while they are wrangling about Allah. The fact is that His plan is very effective.22 To invoke Him alone is the right thing.23 As regards the other deities whom they invoke apart from Him, they cannot give any answer to their prayers. It is as if a man were to stretch his hands towards water and ask it to come to his mouth, when it cannot reach his mouth in this way; likewise the prayers of the disbelievers are nothing but aimless efforts. For it is Allah alone before Whom everything in the heavens and the earth bows down willingly or unwillingly,24 and the shadows of all things bow down before Him in the morning and the evening.25 Ask them, "Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth ?" Say, "Allah."26 Then say to them, "When this is the fact, have you then made beside Him such deities your protectors as can do neither good nor harm even to themselves ?" Say, "Are the blind man and the seeing man alike?27 Are light and darkness alike?"28 And if it is not so, have the partners, they have set up with Allah, created anything like His creation so as to make the matter of creation doubtful for them?29 Say, Allah alone is the Creator of everything; and He is the Unique, the Almighty. 30 Allah sent down water from the sky and every system carried it along according to its capacity: then there was flood and a swelling foam31 came to the surface. Likewise there arises a scum out of the metals which are melted in the furnace for making ornaments and utensils.32 By such similitudes, Allah makes the truth distinct from falsehood. That which is the foam vanishes and that which is beneficial for the people remains on the earth. In this way Allah cites similes to make His Message clear. There is an excellent reward for those who responded to the call of their Lord. As for those who rejected His call, they would willingly give for their ransom all the wealth the earth contained, if they possessed it, and as much more besides (in order to escape retribution).33 Those are the people who shall have the heavy reckoning;34 their abode shall be Hell-a wretched resting place.