He said, mocking them and obligating them with the proof: "Rather, their great one did it," out of jealousy that one who is lesser than him should be worshipped alongside him. This is in the manner of establishing the proof. His specification by saying: "This" indicates that there was a great one among them other than him, as it implies that he was left without being broken, which indicates that there was indeed a great one among them. Likewise, the indefinite reference in his previous statement: "except a great one for them" [Al-Anbiya: 58] - this, along with being a mockery of them and a hint that they have no reason for their worship of one whom they know cannot perform any action, is a reminder of the ugliness of polytheism. No deity is pleased with it; rather, He destroys whoever worships others besides Him and all that is worshipped besides Him if He is capable, out of jealousy for His great status and His immense position.

And when he informed them of that, and no one had seen him to testify to his action, and they had permitted them in their worship and the placing of food for them as if they were those who have reason, he caused them to question him by saying: "So ask them," meaning about the doer so that they may inform you about him, "if they can speak," according to your claim that they are deities who harm and benefit. If they are capable of speaking, then they have the ability; otherwise, they do not. As for the question of the correct one, it is clear. As for the other, it is like asking people who have been injured or had their hand or foot cut off or have been struck in their middle and have a remnant of life left in them. And attributing the action to that which cannot be correctly attributed to it, and his command to ask after his silence about his action implies that he is indeed the doer.