⦗4-6⦘ “Say, ‘Consider those whom you invoke besides Allah. Show me what they have created of the earth, or whether they have any share in the heavens. Bring me a scripture predating this one, or some remnant of knowledge, if you are truthful. * Who is further astray than one who invokes besides Allah those who will not answer him until the Day of Resurrection and are utterly unaware of their calls?’”
That is: “Say” to those who have associated with Allah idols and rivals that have no power to bring benefit or cause harm, nor to cause death, give life, or resurrect. Say to them—making clear the impotence of their idols and that they deserve no form of worship—“Show me what they have created of the earth, or whether they have any share in the heavens.” Have they created any of the bodies in the heavens or on earth? Have they created mountains? Have they caused rivers to flow? Have they brought forth living creatures? Have they caused trees to grow? Did they assist in creating any of these things?
Nothing of the sort, as they themselves admit—let alone others. This is a decisive rational proof that the worship of everything besides Allah is false.
He then stated that there is no revealed proof for it either, saying: “Bring me a scripture predating this one”—a scripture that calls to polytheism—“or some remnant of knowledge” inherited from the messengers that commands it. It is well known that they are incapable of producing, on the authority of any messenger, evidence supporting it. Rather, we know with certainty that every messenger called people to affirm the oneness of their Lord and forbade them from associating partners with Him. This is the foremost knowledge transmitted from them. Allah Most High says: “We certainly sent a messenger to every community, saying, ‘Worship Allah and shun false gods.’” Every messenger said to his people: “Worship Allah! You have no deity other than Him.”
It is thus known that, in defending their polytheism, the polytheists rest on no proof or evidence. They rely only on false assumptions, worthless opinions, and unsound minds. Their corruption becomes clear when one surveys the polytheists’ condition, examines their knowledge and deeds, and considers the state of those to whose worship they devoted their lives: did they benefit them in any way in this world or the Hereafter?
Allah Most High therefore says: “Who is further astray than one who invokes besides Allah those who will not answer him until the Day of Resurrection?” That is, throughout his stay in this world, he gains not even an atom’s weight of benefit from the one he invokes. “They are utterly unaware of their calls”: they neither hear their supplications nor answer their appeals. Such is their condition in this world; on the Day of Resurrection, they will repudiate their association with Allah.