Now they who ascribe divinity to aught beside God say: "Had God so willed, we would not have worshipped aught but Him - neither we nor our forefathers; nor would we have declared aught as forbidden without a commandment from Him." Even thus did speak those [sinners] who lived before their time; but, then, are the apostles bound to do more than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to them]? 35 And indeed, within every community have We raised up an apostle [entrusted with this message]: "Worship God, and shun the powers of evil!" And among those [past generations] were people whom God graced with His guidance, just as there was among them [many a one] who inevitably fell prey to grievous error: go, then, about the earth and behold what happened in the end to those who gave the lie to the truth! 36 (O Muhammad), howsoever eager you may be to show them the Right Way, Allah does not bestow His guidance on those whom He lets go astray; and in fact none will be able 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 So that He might make manifest to them that about which they differ, and that those who disbelieve might know that they were liars. 39 And Our command for anything to occur, when We will it, is that We only say to it, “Be” – and it thereupon happens. 40