The idolaters say: "If God had willed we would not have worshipped anything apart from Him, nor would our fathers have done, nor would we have forbidden any thing without His (leave)." So had the people done before them. Therefore it is binding on the prophets to convey the message in clearest terms. 35 And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers! 36 [Even] if you should strive for their guidance, [O Muhammad], indeed, Allah does not guide those He sends astray, and they will have no helpers. 37 They strongly swear by God that God will not bring the dead to life. God's promise (of the Resurrection) will certainly come true but many people do not know. 38 (Through the resurrection) God wants to make a clear distinction between right and wrong and make the unbelievers know that they were liars. 39 Our word for a thing when We intend it, is only that We say to it, Be, and it is. 40