the stars, and similar groups. They are among those with the least knowledge and understanding of the monotheism with which Allah sent His messengers, and of the circumstances of its believing adherents in relation to the polytheistic disbelievers.

Third: This account implies that, before polytheism was introduced, people followed what he called the doctrine of those who liken Allah to His creation. At that time, they believed that the God of the universe was a great light; when they adopted this belief, they fashioned an idol, as he described. This belief would therefore have been their doctrine in the earliest age, before the worship of idols. Then, because of this belief, they came to regard idol worship as commendable.

Yet it is well known that, before polytheism, people followed Allah’s religion and the natural disposition upon which He created mankind. This is Islam in its universal sense, other than which Allah accepts no religion from anyone. As Allah Most High says:

“Mankind were but one community; then they differed. Had it not been for a word that had already gone forth from your Lord, the matter would have been decided between them.”
[Yūnus 19]

And He Most High says:

“Mankind were one community; then Allah sent the prophets as bearers of good tidings and warners, and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between people concerning that over which they differed.”
[al-Baqarah 213]

It has also been authentically reported from Ibn