Can Allah permit shirk?

Question

In many places in the Quran, Allah (SWT) says:

مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا

For example in 7:33, 22:71, and 3:151.

Let's analyze the first verse:

قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّىَ ٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَٱلْإِثْمَ وَٱلْبَغْىَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا وَأَن تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ٣٣

Let's assume that it only says وَأَن تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَأَن تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

The meaning is still complete. Do not commit shirk.

But when Allah (SWT) adds مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا this creates a possiblity. It semantically means that Allah can permit shirk if he wants to, and for anything that he wants to.

An equivalent English example can be:

Do not eat chocolate

It's 100% clear and needs no further clarification. Yet:

Do not each chocolate, for which I have not given you prescriptions

This opens the door to the possibility that there can be prescribed chocolate.

How do we understand it linguistically? What is the tafseer of adding مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا to prohibitions regarding shirk?

Answer 1

This is called emphasis.

Another example of this is:

And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you. We have not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.

It is enough to say "bird that flies," but the addition of "with its wings" adds emphasis.

For the phrase "and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority," the emphasis highlights to the listener one of the arguments against shirk (the lack of evidence for it).

In the same verse, you also see Allah say "oppression without right" although all oppression is without right by definition. This emphasize the evil of oppression.