The worshippers of false gods say: "If Allah had so willed, we should not have worshipped aught but Him - neither we nor our fathers,- nor should we have prescribed prohibitions other than His." So did those who went before them. But what is the mission of messengers but to preach the Clear Message? 35 And certainly We raised in every nation an apostle saying: Serve Allah and shun the Shaitan. So there were some of them whom Allah guided and there were others against whom error was due; therefore travel in the land, then see what was the end of the rejecters. 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 And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths [that] Allah will not resurrect one who dies. But yes - [it is] a true promise [binding] upon Him, but most of the people do not know. 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 And Our word unto a thing, when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: Be! and it is. 40