the servants’ right over Allah is if they do so?”
He replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said, “Their right over Him is that He not punish them.”
Allah Most High says:
“And to ‘Ād We sent their brother Hūd. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity worthy of worship except Him. You are merely fabricating lies.’”
There are many such passages in the Quran in which He describes those who associate partners with Him as fabricators of lies. Hence He demands proof and authoritative evidence from them, as in His words:
“Whoever invokes another god alongside Allah, for which he has no proof, his reckoning rests only with his Lord.”
And His words:
“Say, ‘Have you considered those you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth. Or do they have a share in the heavens? Bring me a scripture preceding this, or some remnant of knowledge, if you are truthful.’”
He also says:
“So devote yourself to the religion, inclining to truth—the natural disposition Allah has instilled in mankind. There is no altering Allah’s creation. That is the upright religion, but most people do not know.
“Turn to Him in repentance, fear Him, establish prayer, and do not be among those who associate partners with Him—those who divided their religion and became sects, each faction rejoicing in what it has.
“When adversity touches people, they call upon their Lord, turning to Him in repentance. Then, when He lets them taste mercy from Him, a group of them associate partners with their Lord, showing ingratitude for what We have given them. So enjoy yourselves; soon you will know.
“Or have We sent down to them any authority that speaks in support of what they associate with Him?”
Allah Most High says, “Do not be among those who associate partners with Him—those who divided their religion and became sects,” because affirming Allah’s oneness is the religion of Allah with which He sent the messengers of earlier and later times. As Allah Most High says:
“We sent no messenger before you without revealing to him that