Ma samiAAna bihatha fee almillati al-akhirati in hatha illa ikhtilaq (surah Sad: 7)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(38:7) We have not heard this in the religious community close to our time. *9 This is nothing but a fabrication.

Maa sami`naa bihaazaa fil millatil aakhirati in haazaaa illakh tilaaq

*9) That is, "There have been our own elderly people in the recent past; there arc Christians and Jews also living in our land and in the adjoining lands; and there arc the Zoroastrians abounding in Iran and Iraq and eastern Arabia. None of them has ever preached that man should only believe in One AIlah, Lord of the worlds, and in none else beside Him: no one can remain content with one God only: everyone believes in the beloved ones of Allah also: they arc All paying obeisance to them, making offerings at their shrines and praying for fulfilment of their needs and requirements. From one place people get children and from another provisions of life, and from yet another whatever they. pray for. The whole world believes in their powers and capabilities, and those who have benefited from them tell how the needs of the people are being met and their difficulties being removed through their help and grace. Now this man is telling us a queer thing which we had never heard before. He says that none of these holy men has any share in Godhead and that Godhead wholly belongs only to Allah!"