Those who associate [others with God] say, "If God had so willed we would not have worshipped anything besides Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything without His sanction." So did those who went before them. The duty of the messengers is only to convey the message clearly. 35 And indeed We sent to every nation a Noble Messenger (proclaiming) that “Worship Allah and beware of the devil”; therefore Allah guided some of them, and error proved true upon some of them; therefore travel in the land and see what sort of fate befell the deniers! 36 If thou art anxious for their guidance, yet Allah guideth not such as He leaves to stray, and there is none to help them. 37 And they swear by God the most solemn of oaths that God would not raise him who dieth. Yea! it is a promise on Him incumbent but most of mankind know not. 38 This will be in order that he may manifest unto them that wherein they differ, and that those who disbelieved should come to know that they had been liars. 39 Our only saying unto a thing, when We intend it, is that We say unto it: be, and it becometh. 40