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 assuredly We have raised in every community an apostle saying: worship Allah and avoid the devil. Then of them were some whom Allah guided, and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. Wherefore travel about on the earth, and look on what wise hath been the end of the disbelievers. 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 have sworn by God the most earnest oaths God will never raise up him who dies; nay, it is a promise binding upon Him, but most men know not, 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 Yet when We will a thing We have only to say: "Be", and it is. 40