The Quran

Preface

أَفَمَن هُوَ قائِمٌ عَلىٰ كُلِّ نَفسٍ بِما كَسَبَت ۗ وَجَعَلوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكاءَ قُل سَمّوهُم ۚ أَم تُنَبِّئونَهُ بِما لا يَعلَمُ فِي الأَرضِ أَم بِظاهِرٍ مِنَ القَولِ ۗ بَل زُيِّنَ لِلَّذينَ كَفَروا مَكرُهُم وَصُدّوا عَنِ السَّبيلِ ۗ وَمَن يُضلِلِ اللَّهُ فَما لَهُ مِن هادٍ

Yusuf Ali

Is then He who standeth over every soul (and knoweth) all that it doth, (like any others)? And yet they ascribe partners to God. Say: “But name them!¹ is it that ye will inform Him of something he knoweth not on earth, or is it (just) a show of words?” Nay! to those who believe not, their pretence² seems pleasing, but they are kept back (thereby) from the path. And those whom God leaves to stray, no one can guide.

Cf. 12:40, You have but to name your false gods, and you will see that they are nothing but names. There is no reality behind them, whereas God is the One great Reality. He penetrates everything through and through and knows all things. Do you dare to tell Him of something on earth that He does not know? Or is it just a trick or a show of words?
All pretences and fancies seem attractive to their inventors, but alas! they are a great obstruction to the Path of Religion and Truth. However, if by their contumacy, they have cut themselves off from God’s grace, who can guide them or reclaim them from their errors?