16-35 And the idolaters say: If Allah pleased we would not have served aught but Him, (neither) we nor our fathers, nor would we have prohibited aught without (order from) Him. Thus did those before them. But have the messengers any duty except a plain delivery (of the message)?
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَىْءٍۢ نَّحْنُ وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ فَهَلْ عَلَى ٱلرُّسُلِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ (۳۵)
16-36 And certainly We raised in every nation a messenger, saying: Serve Allah and shun the devil. Then of them was he whom Allah guided, and of them was he whose remaining in error was justly due. So travel in the land, then see what was the end of the rejectors.a
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ (۳۶)
16-36a: In this and the previous verse, a definitive answer is given to the frivolous excuse of the followers of evil that if Allah had wanted, they would not have served other than Allah. Basically, they allege that Allah desires them to have partners with Him, otherwise He would have prevented them from doing so. This argument is rebutted by stating that Allah sends His messengers for the very reason that people should not associate anything with Allah, but the duty of the messenger is to deliver the message as stated in: فَهَلْ عَلَى ٱلرُّسُلِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ : But have the messengers any duty except a plain delivery (of the message)? (16:35). Their duty is not to force people to follow the message. If Allah had desired that people should associate others with Him then why would He have sent messengers to preach against associating others with Him. Verse 16:36 further strengthens this argument by stating that Allah sent His messengers to all nations with the same message to worship Allah and to avoid worshipping ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ or, other than Allah. The deliverance of this message results in two parties, one that Allah guides, and they accept the guidance, and the other that rejects it and its rejection becomes proof of their misguidance. It is stated about this second group that their misguidance is proven, meaning their rejection and opposition of the truth reaches such a stage that Allah, on account of their actions, brands them as the misguided. Accordingly with reference to the rejectors, it is made clear in the last part of the verse that they themselves go so far in rejecting the truth that Allah leaves them misguided as a punishment. This is the condition when a person slowly develops such love for his evil actions that it becomes part of his personality. See 2-26a. This is the reason why the next verse says: فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ : yet Allah will not guide him who leads astray (16:37), and this occurs when a person strays so far from guidance that he reaches a point of no return and Allah expresses this by saying that He does not give guidance to such a person. In places where words occur such as: وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكُوا۟ : And if Allah had pleased, they would not have set up others (with Him) (6:107) or
فَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَىٰكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ : so if He had pleased, He would have guided you all (6:149), their connotation and substance is the same as discussed above because the meaning there too is that Allah has given humans free will to follow the way of their choice. The Divine will is that humans should not be forced and consequently, humans are neither under any force not to set up partners with Allah, nor are they under any force to adopt the way of guidance. If Allah had desired to force humans, He would have forcefully guided them as He has done with the rest of His creation but even in that situation, it would be foolish to argue that Allah would force them to serve others besides Him. The conclusion of both statements is the same.
16-37 If thou desirest their guidance, yet Allah will not guide him who leads astray, nor have they any helpers.a
إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَىٰ هُدَىٰهُمْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ ۖ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِينَ (۳۷)
16-37a: مَن يُضِلُّ – One of the meanings of مَن يُضِلُّ is the one adopted in the translation: if thou desirest their guidance, and this has been explained in the preceding note. Another meaning can be that Allah does not give guidance to those who lead others astray. The meaning of both is the same because when the love of a person for misguidance increases to where it becomes part of his nature, he then begins to lead others astray as well.
16-38 And they swear by Allah their most energetic oaths: Allah will not raise up him who dies. Yea! it is a promise binding on Him, quite true, but most people know not:
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ ۙ لَا يَبْعَثُ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَمُوتُ ۚ بَلَىٰ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّۭا وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (۳۸)
16-39 So that He might make manifest to them that about which they differ, and that those who disbelieve might know that they were liars.
لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ كَـٰذِبِينَ (۳۹)
16-40 Our word for a thing, when We intend it, is only that We say to it, Be; and it is.a
إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَىْءٍ إِذَآ أَرَدْنَـٰهُ أَن نَّقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ (۴۰)
16-40a: After responding to their frivolous objection, attention is drawn now to their real disease which is a lack of belief in the Hereafter, and that they do not consider Allah to have the power to bring them back to life after their death. Hence it is stated in the end that the first creation was by His command and the second creation too will be by His command.
Bayan-ul-Quran 