Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Furqan -> They took Their Desires as their gods and were more astray than Cattle

Then Allah tells His Prophet that if Allah decrees that someone will be misguided and wretched, then no one can guide him except Allah, glory be to Him:

﴿أَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَـهَهُ هَوَاهُ﴾

(Have you seen him who has taken as his god his own vain desire) meaning, whatever he admires and sees as good in his own desires becomes his religion and his way. As Allah says:

﴿أَفَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءَ عَمَلِهِ فَرَءَاهُ حَسَناً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ﴾

(Is he then, to whom the evil of his deeds is made fair seeming. So that he consider it as good. Verily, Allah sends astray whom he wills.) ﴿35:8﴾

﴿أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلاً﴾

(Would you then be a guardian over him) Ibn `Abbas said: "During the Jahiliyyah, a man would worship a white rock for a while, then if he saw another that looked better, he would worship that and leave the first.'' Then Allah said:

﴿أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ﴾

(Or do you think that most of them hear or understand) meaning, they are worse than grazing cattle. Cattle only do what they were created to do, but these people were created to worship Allah Alone without associating partners with Him, but they worship others with Him, even though evidence has been established against them and Messengers have been sent to them.

﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى رَبِّكَ كَيْفَ مَدَّ الظِّلَّ وَلَوْ شَآءَ لَجَعَلَهُ سَاكِناً ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا الشَّمْسَ عَلَيْهِ دَلِيلاً - ثُمَّ قَبَضْنَـهُ إِلَيْنَا قَبْضاً يَسِيراً - وَهُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الَّيْلَ لِبَاساً وَالنَّوْمَ سُبَاتاً وَجَعَلَ النَّهَارَ نُشُوراً ﴾

(45. Have you not seen how your Lord spread the shadow. If He willed, He could have made it still -- but We have made the sun its guide.) (46. Then We withdraw it towards Ourselves -- a gradual withdrawal.) (47. And it is He Who makes the night a covering for you, and the sleep (as) a repose, and makes the day Nushur.)