The Quran

Preface

وَقالَ الَّذينَ أَشرَكوا لَو شاءَ اللَّهُ ما عَبَدنا مِن دونِهِ مِن شَيءٍ نَحنُ وَلا آباؤُنا وَلا حَرَّمنا مِن دونِهِ مِن شَيءٍ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم ۚ فَهَل عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلَّا البَلاغُ المُبينُ

Ali Quli Qarai

The polytheists say, ‘Had Allah wished, we would not have worshiped anything besides Him —neither we, nor our fathers— nor would we have held anything holy besides Him.’¹ Those who were before them had acted likewise. Is the apostles’ duty anything but to communicate in clear terms?

Or ‘nor we would have forbidden anything without Him (that is, without His permission).’ Cf. 6:148.