(40) “Say, ‘Have you considered those partners of yours whom you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth. Or do they have any share in the heavens? Or have We given them a scripture by which they stand upon clear proof? Rather, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusion.’”
Allah Most High declares the deities of the polytheists powerless, clarifying their deficiency and the invalidity of their polytheism in every respect.
“Say,” O Messenger, to them: “Have you considered”—that is, tell me about your partners, “those whom you invoke besides Allah.” Do they deserve to be invoked and worshipped? Then “show me what they have created [of the earth.” Did they create a sea or mountains, or did they create] an animal or an inanimate object? They will acknowledge that Allah Most High is the Creator of all things. “Or do they have any share in the heavens”—in their creation and governance? They will say that they have no share in them.
Since they created nothing and had no share with the Creator in His creation, why did you worship and invoke them while acknowledging their powerlessness? Thus, there is no rational evidence for the validity of worshipping them; rather, reason proves such worship invalid.
He then mentions revealed evidence and shows that it too is absent. Thus, He says: “Or have We given them a scripture” that speaks in support of their association of partners with Him, commanding them to practice polytheism and worship idols, so that “they,” in their polytheism, “stand upon clear proof” from that revealed scripture that polytheism is valid?
Certainly not. No scripture was sent down to them before the Quran, nor did any warner come to them before the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him. Even if we were to suppose that a scripture had been sent down to them and a messenger sent among them, and they claimed that he had commanded them to practice polytheism, we would state with certainty that they were lying. For Allah says: “We never sent before you any messenger without revealing to him: ‘There is no god worthy of worship except Me, so worship Me.’” All the messengers and scriptures agree in commanding that religion be devoted sincerely to Allah Most High: “They were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting religion sincerely to Him and inclining to the truth.”
It may be asked: If rational and revealed evidence both demonstrate the invalidity of polytheism, what led the polytheists to practice it, despite the presence among them of people endowed with reason, intelligence, and discernment?
Allah Most High answers: “Rather, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusion.” That is, they have no proof for the course they follow. It is merely something they urge upon one another and make attractive to each other; later generations imitate their misguided predecessors; and Satan gives them false hopes and makes their [evil] deeds seem attractive to them. These notions then take root in their hearts and become firmly established traits, making them difficult to remove or relinquish. This is how they came to persist in disbelief and in false polytheism, which is destined to vanish.