And the polytheists said, “Had Allah willed, we would not have worshipped anything besides Him – neither we nor our forefathers – and nor would we have forbidden anything, whilst being disassociated with Him”; those before them did exactly this; so what is (incumbent) upon the Noble Messengers, except to plainly convey (the message)? 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 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 this is so that He may make clear to them what they have differed about and so that those who are bent on denying the truth may realize that they were lying. 39 Whenever We will anything to be, We but say unto it Our word "Be" - and it is. 40