( وقال الذين أشركوا لو شاء الله ما عبدنا من دونه من شيء نحن ولا آباؤنا ولا حرمنا من دونه من شيء ) يعني : البحيرة ، والسائبة ، والوصيلة ، والحام ، فلولا أن الله رضيها لغير ذلك وهدانا إلى غيرها ، ( كذلك فعل الذين من قبلهم فهل على الرسل إلا البلاغ المبين ) أي : ليس إليهم الهداية إنما إليهم التبليغ .
Those who associated others with Allah in their worship said: Had Allah willed for us to worship Him alone and not to ascribe any partners to Him, we would not have worshipped anything besides Him, neither us, nor our ancestors before us. Had He willed for us not to prohibit anything we would not have done so. The disbelievers of the past also presented such false arguments. The duty of the Messengers is only to clearly communicate what they have been instructed to convey and they have done so. The disbelievers cannot present fate as an argument after Allah has given them free will and choice and sent to them His Messengers.