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٣٧. أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَـٰبٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ
٣٨. إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُونَ
٣٩. أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَـٰنٌ عَلَيْنَا بَـٰلِغَةٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۙ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُونَ
٤٠. سَلْهُمْ أَيُّهُم بِذَٰلِكَ زَعِيمٌ
٤١. أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأْتُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ صَـٰدِقِينَ
[37-41] Have you a Book21 in which you study that you shall have there the same that you choose for yourselves? Or, have you covenants binding on Us till the Resurrection Day that you will have will have whatever you demand? Ask them which of them will guarantee this?22 Or, have they some associate gods (who might be responsible for it)? If so, let them produce their associate gods if they are truthful.23
21That is, the Book sent down by Allah.
22Za'im in Arabic is used for a person who stands a surety on behalf of another, or is a spokesman of others. Thus, the verse means to ask: "Which of you will come forward and say that he has made such and such a covenant with Allah on your behalf?"
23That is, "The judgment you are passing concerning yourselves has no basis whatever. It is against reason and you cannot show any such thing written in any Divine Book either. No one can make the claim that he has made Allah promise some such thing, and you cannot make any of your deities vouch that it would take the responsibility of securing Paradise for you from God. How then have you been involved in such a misunderstanding?”