throughout the earth, as separate nations, and had stripped them of sovereignty and honor.

As for the Christians, they covered (1) the surface of the earth: the whole of greater Syria was Christian; in the Maghreb they were the predominant population, as well as in Egypt, Abyssinia, Nubia, Upper Mesopotamia, Mosul, the land of Najrān, and many other regions.

The Magians were the people of the Persian Empire and the territories attached to it.

The Sabeans (2) inhabited Ḥarrān and a large part of the Byzantine lands.

The polytheists occupied the entire Arabian Peninsula, the lands of India, the territories of the Turks, and the areas adjacent to them.

The religions of the world did not extend beyond these five. The faith of the ḥunafāʾ—pure monotheists—was nowhere to be found among them at all.

All five of these religions belong to Satan, as Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) and others said: “Religions are six: one is for the Most Merciful, and five are for Satan.” (3)

These six religions are all mentioned in the separating verse, in the words of the Exalted:

“Indeed, those who believe, those who were Jews, the Sabeans, the Christians, the Magians, and those who associate others with Allah…” (al-Ḥajj 22:17).