and to obey him in everything he commanded. Whatever he has affirmed must be affirmed, and whatever he has denied must be denied. Likewise, the servants are obliged to affirm for Allah whatever He has affirmed of His Names and Attributes, and to deny from Him whatever He has denied of any resemblance to created beings, thereby steering clear of both negation and anthropomorphism—affirmation without likening Him to His creation, and transcendence without nullification.

They must carry out whatever he ordered, abstain from whatever he forbade, deem lawful what he declared lawful, and deem unlawful what he declared unlawful; for nothing is forbidden except what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, and there is no religion except what Allah and His Messenger have legislated.

For this reason Allah reproached the polytheists in Sūrat al-Anʿām, Sūrat al-Aʿrāf, and elsewhere: because they forbade what Allah had not forbidden and instituted a religion for which Allah had given no permission. The Exalted says:

“They assign to Allah a share of the crops and livestock He Himself created…” (al-Anʿām 6:136),

and so on to the end of the sūrah, as well as what He mentions at the beginning of Sūrat al-Aʿrāf. Likewise, He says:

“Or do they have partners who have ordained for them, in matters of religion, that which Allah has not authorized?” (al-Shūrā 42:21).

Allah, Mighty and Majestic, also said to His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

“We have indeed sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner, and as one who calls to Allah by His permission and as a radiant lamp.” (al-Aḥzāb 33:45–46)

Thus He informed him that He had sent him to call people to Allah by His permission. Whoever, therefore, calls to anyone other than Allah has committed shirk; and whoever calls to Him without His permission has innovated. Shirk is itself an innovation, and every innovator ultimately falls into shirk—there is no innovator except that some element of shirk is found in him, as He said