Those who associated [others] with Allāh will say, "If Allāh had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything." Likewise did those before deny until they tasted Our punishment. Say, "Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow not except assumption, and you are not but misjudging."
أَشۡرَكۡنَاwe (would) have associated partners (with Allah)ashraknā
وَلَآand notwalā
ءَابَآؤُنَاour forefathersābāunā
وَلَاand notwalā
حَرَّمۡنَاwe (would) have forbiddenḥarramnā
مِن[of]min
شَيۡءٖۚanythingshayin
كَذَٰلِكَLikewisekadhālika
كَذَّبَdeniedkadhaba
ٱلَّذِينَthose whoalladhīna
مِن(were from)min
قَبۡلِهِمۡbefore themqablihim
حَتَّىٰuntilḥattā
ذَاقُواْthey tasteddhāqū
بَأۡسَنَاۗOur wrathbasanā
قُلۡSayqul
هَلۡIshal
عِندَكُمwith youʿindakum
مِّنۡ[of]min
عِلۡمٖany knowledgeʿil'min
فَتُخۡرِجُوهُthen produce itfatukh'rijūhu
لَنَآۖfor uslanā
إِنNotin
تَتَّبِعُونَyou followtattabiʿūna
إِلَّاexceptillā
ٱلظَّنَّthe assumptionl-ẓana
وَإِنۡand notwa-in
أَنتُمۡyou (do)antum
إِلَّاbutillā
تَخۡرُصُونَguesstakhruṣūna
Tafsir
The idolaters will say, using Allah’s will and decree as proof for their associating partners with Him: If Allah had willed that neither we nor our ancestors associate any partners with Him we would not have done so; and if He had willed that we do not make anything unlawful for ourselves we would not have done so. Those before them also denied their messengers with similar worthless proofs saying: If Allah had willed that we do not prohibit them, we would not have done so. So they persisted in their denial until they tasted My punishment that I sent down on them. Say, O Messenger, to these idolaters: Do you have any evidence that indicates that Allah is pleased that you associate others with Him, and that you make lawful what He has prohibited, and make unlawful what He has allowed? Just because you did these actions does not mean that He is pleased with them. You are following nothing but speculation with respect to this and speculation holds no weight against the truth. You are only lying.