"And they said: If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshipped them"—meaning: if God had disliked this religion which we are upon, He would have diverted us from it to another, but God did not dislike it. God said: "They have no knowledge of that"—that I have commanded that others besides Me be worshipped. They only said that based on doubt and conjecture.
Interpretation of Surah al-Zukhruf from verse 21 to verse 23.
﴿وَقَالُوا لَوْ شَاء الرَّحْمَنُ مَا عَبَدْنَاهُم﴾ أَي: لَو كره الله هَذَا الدّين الَّذِي نَحن عَلَيْهِ لحوَّلنا عَنهُ إِلَى غَيره , ولكنَّ الله لم يكرههُ. قَالَ الله: ﴿مَّا لَهُم بِه مِنْ عِلْمٍ﴾ بِأَنِّي أمرت أَن يعبدوا غَيْرِي، إِنَّمَا قَالُوا ذَلِك على الشَّك وَالظَّن.
تَفْسِير سُورَة الزخرف من الْآيَة ٢١ إِلَى آيَة ٢٣.
