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 Indeed, We sent forth among every nation a Messenger saying: 'Serve you God, and eschew idols.' Then some of them God guided, and some were justly disposed to error. So journey in the land, and behold how was the end of them that cried lies. 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 They swear their strongest oaths by God that God will never raise the dead to life -- nonetheless, it is a promise truly binding on Him, even though most people do not realize it -- 38 In order that He may make clear to them the matter in which they differed, and the disbelievers may realise that they were liars. 39 When We will something to happen, all that We say is, "Be!" and it is. 40