Page 175 صفحة ١٧٥

Say [Prophet], ‘I have no control over benefit or harm, [even] to myself, except as God may please: if I had knowledge of what is hidden, I would have abundant good things and no harm could touch me. I am no more than a bearer of warning, and good news to those who believe.’

It is He who created you all from one soul, and from it made its mate so that he might find comfort in her: when one [of them] lies with his wife and she conceives a light burden, going about freely, then grows heavy, they both pray to God, their Lord, ‘If You give us a good child we shall certainly be grateful,’

and yet when He gives them a good child they ascribe some of what He has granted them to others.

God is far above the partners they set up alongside Him! How can they set up with Him these partners that create nothing and are themselves created,

that cannot help them at all, or even help themselves?

If you [believers] call such people to guidance, they do not fol-low you: it makes no difference whether you call them or remain silent.

Those you [idolaters] call upon instead of God are created beings like you. Call upon them, then, and let them respond to you if what you say is true.

Do they have feet to walk, hands to strike, eyes to see, or ears to hear? Say [Prophet], ‘Call on your “partners”! Scheme against me! Do not spare me!