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li-kulli ʾummatin jaʿalnā mansakan hum nāsikūhu fa-lā yunāziʿunnaka fī l-ʾamri wa-dʿu ʾilā rabbika ʾinnaka la-ʿalā hudan mustaqīmin
For every nation We have appointed rites [of worship] which they observe; so let them not dispute with you concerning your religion, and invite to your Lord. Indeed, you are on a straight guidance.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Hajj – Verse 67
67. “To every nation have We appointed rites which they are to perform, therefore they should not dispute with you about the matter, and you do invite (the people) unto your Lord; verily, you are upon a straight guidance.”
Allah does not leave any nation without any school of thought. A religion must be introduced from the side of Allah, and people should go on the path of Allah. The prophets’ duty is to guide their nations, and they must resist in this way. Through former discussions, we stated some points about polytheists. The polytheists, in particular, and the opponents of Islam, in general, had some disputations with the Prophet of Islam (S) about the problems and the ordinances in the religions of old, and they considered them as a weak point for the religion of Islam, while those changes not only were not weaknesses, but also were counted as one of the programs of the development of religions.
So, the verse implies that there has been appointed a worship for every nation by which they would worship Him. The verse says:
The Arabic word /manasik/ is the plural form of /mansak/ in the sense of ‘worship’ absolutely. Here, it may envelop all religious and Divine programs. Therefore, the verse expresses this fact that each of the former nations had a separate program particular to them. From the viewpoint of time, place and other respects in those circumstances, it had been the most complete program for them, but certainly with the change of conditions it was necessary that some new ordinances would substitute them.
That is why, following that statement, it adds:
The Qur’anic word /hudan/ (guidance) which is qualified by /mustaqim/ (straight) is either for emphasis, or it may point to the fact that a ‘guidance’ toward a ‘destination’ may be performed in different ways. These ways can be: near, far, straight, and crooked; while the Divine guidance is toward the nearest and the straightest way.