(If thou obeyedst) O Muhammad (most of those on earth) i.e. the Meccan leaders who were Abu'l-Ahwas Malik Ibn 'Awf al-Jushami, Budayl Ibn Warqa' al-Khuza'i and Julays Ibn Warqa' al-Khuza'i (they would mislead thee far from Allah's way) in the Sacred Precinct. (They follow naught but an opinion) they pronounce nothing but surmise, (and they do but guess) they lie to the believers when they say to them: that which Allah immolates is better than that which you slaughter with your own knives.