﴿ قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَكَ مَا كَانَ يَنۢبَغِى لَنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ مِن دُونِكَ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ وَلَٰكِن مَّتَّعْتَهُمْ وَءَابَآءَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ نَسُوا۟ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَكَانُوا۟ قَوْمًۢا بُورًۭا ﴾

“They will answer: “Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! It was inconceivable for us to take for our masters anyone but Thyself! But [as for them -] Thou didst allow them and their forefathers to enjoy [the pleasures of] life to such an extent that they forgot all remembrance [of Thee]: for they were people devoid of all good.””

The Quranic commentator Ibn Kathir explains the reminder when he writes, ‘They forgot the message You had sent to them through the messengers (prophets) about worshipping You alone and no other.’ The addressee communities of the various prophets were not deniers of the truth or polytheists per se. The prophets sent to them had brought to them the message of worshipping one God alone. But, with the passage of time, they became engrossed in worldly affairs, and developed the belief that their elders and prophets, etc. would become the intermediate means of obtaining God’s pardon. But, on the Day of Judgement, all such beliefs will prove false. At that time, people will come to know that the only saviour from God’s reckoning is God Himself and no other.