When asked who created the heavens and the earth and controls things, what was the answer given by the Meccan polytheists?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The polytheists’ answer to this question: It is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and Who disposes their affairs. Allah stated their answer in His saying: {If you asked them, ‘Who created the heavens and earth and subjected the sun and the moon?’ they would surely say, ‘Allah.’ Then how are they deluded?} [Quran 29: 61] Allah says: {And if you asked them, ‘Who created the heavens and earth?’ they would surely say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘[All] praise is [due] to Allah’; but most of them do not know.} [Quran 31: 25] Allah also says: {And if you asked them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they would surely say, ‘Allah.’} [Quran 39: 38] Allah also says: {And if you should ask them, ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth?’ they would surely say, ‘They were created by the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.’} [Quran 43: 9]

Other verses also prove that the polytheists of Makkah did not dispute and deny that Allah, the Almighty, is the only One Who disposes the affairs of the creatures and subsistence, gives life, causes death, sends down rain, grows pasture, and does other actions that only He does. They were polytheists in the sense that they worshiped their so-called gods (idols), thinking that they deserved to be worshipped besides Allah, the Almighty.

Allah knows best.