Those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity say: "Were Allah to will so, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshipped any other than Him, nor would we have prohibited anything without His command." Their predecessors proffered similar excuses. Do the Messengers have any other duty but to plainly convey the Message? 35 To every community We have sent an apostle. (saying:) "Worship God, and keep away from all other deities." Thus some of them were guided by God, and ruin was justified on some. Travel over the earth and see what befell those who accused (the apostles) of lies. 36 Though thou art ever so eager to guide them, God guides not those whom He leads astray; they have no helpers. 37 They swear emphatically in the name of God that God will not raise the dead. On the contrary, it is a promise incumbent on Him, though most men do not understand, 38 For (they fear) He might make what they differed about plain to them, and that the infidels may realise that they were liars. 39 When We will something to happen, all that We say is, "Be!" and it is. 40