Overall meaning : Allah, Exalted be He, points out that the idolaters worship besides Him creatures that can neither harm them nor benefit them, and they say, 'These will intercede for us with Allah.’ Allah directs His Prophet, Muhammad, to say to them, 'Would you presume to inform Allah of something in the heavens or the earth that He knows does not exist?’ Glory be to Him! High be He exalted above what they worship besides Him!
He then explains that people were of one religion only—submitting to, and worshipping Allah alone—then they disagreed among themselves about their religion and started worshipping others besides Allah. Had it not been for a decree Allah had previously issued to give the unbelievers and the disobedient respite and defer their punishment until Judgement Day, He would have decided the matter between them regarding what they differed about, by saving those who worship Him alone and punishing those who associate partners with Him.
The idolaters say, Allah further states, 'Why has no miraculous sign of the sort we propose to him been sent down to him from his Lord, so that we know that he is truly a messenger from Allah?’ 'Say to them,’ He instructs him, 'that miraculous signs are part of the unseen which is known to none but Allah, and which no one else can send down. It is all up to Him to send them down if He so wills. Wait, then, for Allah’s judgement between us to punish the party that follows falsehood and support the one that follows the truth. I am waiting with you.’