Ibn Kathir said (52) that the pagans' plea, that if Allah disliked what they were doing then He would have punished them and would not have enabled them to do so, was refuted as Allah said in the Holy Quran: "Our Messengers duty is only to convey the message clearly." The following verse of the Holy Quran presents some facts regarding that topic. He, the Almighty stated in the Holy Quran : "We assuredly sent among every people an apostle, (with the command) "Serve Allah and eschew evil" of the people (i.e. the refusing pagans) were some whom Allah guided and some on whom error were inevitably (established). So travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who denied the truth." (53)

So, it is evident that Allah the Almighty has conveyed to every people His disapproval of their deeds of idolatry through His apostles. All Prophets called their people to worship Allah Alone and to avoid evil.

When idolatry appeared among mankind with the people of Noah (peace be upon him ) , he came to his people with a clear message . Thereafter , Messengers of Allah continuously were sent until they ended with the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). His message was universalised for all jinn and mankind throughout the world and will last until the Day of Judgement. Allah the Almighty said in the Holy Quran: "Not an apostle did We send before you without this inspiration sent by Us to him : that there is no god but I, therefore worship and serve Me." (54) The Holy Quran also stated, "And question you Our apostle whom We sent before you. Did We appoint any deities other than Allah, Most Gracious, to be worshipped?" (55)

Moreover, the Holy Quran also stated : "We assuredly sent amongst every people an apostle (with the command) Serve Allah and eschew evil." (56)

How could it be, after all this that a pagan could dare to say, "If Allah willed we should not have adored anything except Him."! It is clear that Allah did not will it so because He forbade it through His Messengers. Their setting up partners to Him does not mean that they were predestined to it. Allah had given them freewill and they, themselves, chose to follow evil despite warnings by Allah and His Messengers of the severest punishment With these arguments, pagans do not mean to apologize because they think they are doing good, and that they are adoring deities to "draw them close to Allah." (57) Indeed their arguments are not meant for an excuse, but they are trying to prove that what they have been doing was legitimate, and that Allah was pleased with it. Allah the Almighty therefore refuted their arguments by saying that if it were so, then why did He send Messengers to convey His disapproval to them, and why were they then punished for it.

THIRD : A suspicion raised by pagans is that by merely uttering the testimony (There is no god but Allah), one is entitled to enter Paradise, even if he held others as equal to Allah and acted in aversion to the articles of faith. They argue so in the light of a Hadith (saying by the Holy Prophet) that "one who utters the testimony of faith, (There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah) is protected from the fires of hell." The reply to this suspicion is that the above saying of the Prophet refers to the person who uttered the testimony of faith without acting contrary to it until his death - the person who uttered it whole-heartedly and honestly, and rejected worshipping anything except Allah throughout his life will then be saved from the fires of hell." The Hadith narrated by Atban, states: "Allah has protected from the fire those who said" (There is no god but Allah) seeking only the pleasure of Allah" (58)