“Indeed, We have sent down the Book to you in truth, so worship Allah, devoting your religion sincerely to Him.”

“Surely, sincere devotion belongs to Allah alone.”

Up to His words:

“Say: It is Allah I worship, devoting my religion sincerely to Him.”

And up to His words:

“Say: Is it other than Allah that you command me to worship, you ignorant people?”

The Most High also says:

“It is not for any human being to whom Allah has given the Scripture, judgment and prophethood to then say to people: ‘Be servants of mine rather than of Allah’”—this verse and the next.

The Most High also says:

“Say: Call upon those whom you claim besides Him. They have no power to remove harm from you”—this verse and the next.

A group of the early generations said: “Some people used to invoke the angels and the prophets, such as the Messiah and ‘Uzayr, so Allah Most High revealed this verse.”

The Most High also says:

“They say: ‘The Most Merciful has taken a child.’ Glory be to Him! Rather, they are honoured servants.”

“They do not speak before He speaks”—and the subsequent verses.

There is much like this in the Quran. Indeed, this is the Quran’s central purpose and its very essence. It is the purpose of the call of all the messengers, and for this creation was brought into being, as the Most High says:

“I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”

The Muslim must therefore understand that Hajj belongs to the same category as prayer and similar acts of worship, through which Allah alone, without partner, is worshipped. Funeral prayers and visits to the graves of the dead belong to the category of supplication for them. Supplication for created beings is a form of kindness and benevolence, belonging to the same category as zakat.

The acts of worship Allah has commanded embody worship of Him alone and conformity to the Sunnah, whereas other forms include associating partners with Allah