Hud, and Salih, and Shuʿayb—peace be upon them all—and every other prophet proclaimed the same message: “Worship Allah; you have no god besides Him.” Above all stand the two greatest messengers whom Allah chose as intimate friends—Abraham and Muhammad, peace be upon them both. Through these two Allah made this foundational truth unmistakably clear, strengthened it, and caused it to spread.
Abraham is the Imam about whom Allah said in al-Baqarah, “I am appointing you as a leader for mankind.” In his line He placed prophethood, revelation, and the messengers, so those who bear prophethood and the message are members of his blessed house upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor. The Exalted said in al-Zukhruf: “When Abraham said to his father and his people, ‘I repudiate whatever you worship—except the One who originated me, for He will surely guide me,’ he made it a lasting word among his descendants so that they might return.”
That “word” is the word of ikhlāṣ—devoting one’s religion purely to Allah—and of disowning every object of worship except the Creator who fashioned us. The believer in Sūrat Yā Sīn said the same: “Why should I not worship the One who created me? To Him you will be returned. Shall I take besides Him gods? If the All-Merciful intends me harm, their intercession will avail me nothing, nor can they rescue me.”
Likewise, after exposing the folly of those who took one of the stars as a lord to be worshipped apart from Allah, the Exalted said in the story of Abraham, al-Anʿām: “When it set, he said, ‘My people, I am innocent of what you associate with Allah. Indeed, I have turned my face toward the One who originated the heavens and the earth, ever-inclined, and I am not of the polytheists,’” up to His words, “Do not dispute—you have indeed associated with Allah that for which He sent down no authority.”
Abraham the Friend, peace be upon him, also said in al-Shuʿarāʾ: “Have you considered what you and your forefathers have been worshipping? They are enemies to me—except the Lord of all worlds, who created me, then guides me, who gives me food and drink, and when I am ill, He heals me…” And Allah the Most High said in al-Mumtaḥanah: “Indeed there is for you a good example in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘We are free of you and of whatever you worship besides Allah; we have disbelieved in you…,’” and so forth.
Our Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is the one through whom Allah established the religion made pure for Him alone, the religion of tawḥīd (pure monotheism), and through whom He subdued the polytheists—both those who were idolaters from the outset and those among the People of the Scripture who disbelieved. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said— as related by Imam Ahmad and others—“I have been sent with the sword, just before the Hour, so that Allah alone is worshipped with no partner. My provision has been placed beneath the shade of my spear; humiliation and abasement are destined for whoever opposes my command; and whoever imitates a people is one of them.”
Earlier we cited some of the verses revealed to him that embody tawḥīd. The Exalted said in al-Ṣāffāt: “By those arrayed in ranks…” until His words, “Indeed your God is but One,” and further on, “Whenever it was said to them, ‘There is no deity but Allah,’ they grew arrogant and said, ‘Are we to abandon our gods for a mad poet?’ Rather, he has come with the truth and confirmed the messengers,” up to His words, “They will have a known provision—fruits, and they will be honored,” and on through the accounts He relates of the prophets concerning monotheism and devoting the religion purely to Allah, until His words, “Glorified is Allah.”