The pagans had said, "Had God wanted we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, nor would our fathers. We would not have forbidden anything without (a command from) Him." The same thing was said by the people who lived before them. Are the Messengers expected to do more than just preach? 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 If you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) desire for their guidance, then indeed Allah does not guide one whom He misleads, and they do not have any aides. 37 And they swore by Allah most vehemently in their oaths that, “Allah will not raise up the dead”; yes He will, why not? A true promise obligatory upon Him, but most men do not know. 38 [It is] so He will make clear to them [the truth of] that wherein they differ and so those who have disbelieved may know that they were liars. 39 And Our command for anything to occur, when We will it, is that We only say to it, “Be” – and it thereupon happens. 40