He commanded them: “Remain wholly devoted to Allah, associating none with Him. Whoever associates partners with Allah is as though he had fallen from the sky and been snatched away by birds, or swept by the wind to some distant place.”

He commanded them to be “wholly devoted to Allah”—that is, turning to Him and His worship and turning away from everything else—“associating none with Him. Whoever associates partners with Allah” is like one who “has fallen from the sky”—that is, dropped from it—“and been swiftly snatched away by birds, or swept by the wind to some distant place,” meaning far away. Such is the polytheist: faith is like the sky, protected and lofty.

Whoever abandons faith is like one falling from the sky, exposed to calamities and afflictions. He may be snatched away by birds and torn limb from limb. Likewise, when the polytheist relinquishes his firm hold on faith, devils snatch him from every direction, tear him apart, and ruin both his religion and his worldly life.