Say thou: I find not in that which hath been revealed unto me aught forbidden unto an eater that eateth thereof, except it be carcass, or blood poured forth, or flesh of swine, for that verily is foul or an abomination over which is invoked the name of other than that of Allah. Then whosoever is driven thereto, neither lusting nor transgressing, verily thy Lord is Forgiving, Merciful. 145 We forbade the Jews all with undivided hoofs and the fat of sheep and cattle, except what is on their backs and entrails, and what is mixed with their bones. As such We recompensed them for their transgressions. Indeed, We are truthful. 146 So if they deny you, [O Muhammad], say, "Your Lord is the possessor of vast mercy; but His punishment cannot be repelled from the people who are criminals." 147 Those who associate partners with God will surely say, "Had God pleased, neither we nor our fathers would have served other gods besides Him; nor would we have made anything unlawful." Likewise those who lived before them argued falsely until they came to taste Our punishment! Say, "Have you any knowledge? If so, produce it before us. You follow nothing but conjecture. You are merely guessing." 148 Say: "[Know,] then, that the final evidence [of all truth] rests with God alone; and had He so willed, He would have guided you all aright. 149 Say: "Bring forward your witnesses to prove that Allah did forbid so and so." If they bring such witnesses, be not thou amongst them: Nor follow thou the vain desires of such as treat our signs as falsehoods, and such as believe not in the Hereafter: for they hold others as equal with their Guardian-Lord. 150