Page 148
sa-yaqūlu lladhīna ʾashrakū law shāʾa llāhu mā ʾashraknā wa-lā ʾābāʾunā wa-lā ḥarramnā min shayʾin ka-dhālika kadhdhaba lladhīna min qablihim ḥattā dhāqū baʾsanā qul hal ʿindakum min ʿilmin fa-tukhrijūhu lanā ʾin tattabiʿūna ʾillā ẓ-ẓanna wa-ʾin ʾantum ʾillā takhruṣūna
The polytheists will say, ‘Had Allah wished we would not have ascribed any partner [to Him], nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.’ Those who were before them had denied likewise until they tasted Our punishment. Say, ‘Do you have any [revealed] knowledge that you can produce before us? You follow nothing but conjectures, and you do nothing but surmise.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-‘An’am, Verse 148
148. "Those who are polytheists will say: 'Had Allah wished we would not have associated (aught with Him) nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.' So did belie those who were before them until they tasted Our punishment. Say: 'Have you any knowledge with you to adduce for Us? You follow nothing but conjecture, and you are nothing but idle talkers '."
Following the expressions of the pagans, which were referred to through the former verses, now some of their vain reasoning and the answers of them are pointed out in this verse. At first, it implies that in answer to the Prophet's objections regarding paganism and prohibition of the lawful sustenance, soon the pagans will say that had Allah wished they would neither have become infidels nor would their ancestors have turned to idolatry, nor would they have forbidden anything.
Thus, they claim that whatever they have done and they have said is entirely referred to the Will of Allah. The verse says:
Similar to many other evil-doers, pagans wanted to flee from the responsibilities of their wrong actions with the cover and under the title of determinism. In fact, they claimed that Allah’s silence, concerning idolatry and prohibition of some animals, was as a reason for His pleasure, since if He had not been pleased with those things He should have somehow prevented them from those things. But, the Qur'an has decisively discussed answering them. At first, it says that they are not alone who have forged such lies against Allah, but there were also some groups of people in the past who told the same lies, and, finally, they confronted with results of their wrong actions and tasted the punishment of Allah. The verse says:
Through their own statements, in fact, they both told lies, and belied the prophets. If Allah was pleased with those deeds, how did He send messengers to invite them to unity? Principally, the invitation of prophets is itself the most important proof upon the freedom of man's will and choice. Then the Qur'an inquires that if you have any reason for your claim, why do you not bring if forth? It adds:
And, finally, the verse implies that you have certainly no proof for your claim, and you follow merely your conjectures and your bare imaginations. It says: