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 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 Even if you are eager to guide them, God does not surely guide those who have gone astray: They will have no one to help them. 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 so that He may make clear to them that whereon they were at variance, and that the unbelievers may know that they were truly liars. 39 Indeed, Our word to a thing when We intend it is but that We say to it, "Be," and it is. 40