38 Preface وَأَقسَموا بِاللَّهِ جَهدَ أَيمانِهِم ۙ لا يَبعَثُ اللَّهُ مَن يَموتُ ۚ بَلىٰ وَعدًا عَلَيهِ حَقًّا وَلٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَ النّاسِ لا يَعلَمونَYusuf AliThey swear their strongest oaths1 by God, that God will not raise up those who die:2 Nay, but it is a promise (binding) on Him in truth: but most among mankind realise it not.The strongest oath of the Pagan Arabs would be by the Supreme God: less strong oaths would be by their subordinate deities, or their ancestors, or other things they valued or held sacred.The usual Pagan creed is: “If there is a God, it does not follow that He will raise us up: why should He?” The answer is twofold: (1) God has promised it, and God’s promise is true, (2) He must finally manifest the Truth to them, convict them of their falsehood, and enforce their personal responsibility (16:39).