And this resembles the practice of the polytheists at the Sacred Mosque when it contained idols and they would go there for the sake of those idols. They did not pray there; rather, as Allah Most High said:

“Their prayer at the House was nothing but whistling and clapping.”

Yet they revered the House itself and circumambulated it, just as they performed pilgrimage every year, despite the changes they had made to the religious law of Abraham. This continued until Allah sent Muhammad with guidance and the religion of truth, and commanded that the faith of Abraham be followed. Muhammad proclaimed it, called people to it, established the pilgrimage according to what Allah had prescribed for Abraham, and purged the House of polytheism. Allah Most High revealed:

“It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah while bearing witness against themselves to their disbelief. Their deeds have come to nothing, and they will abide in the Fire forever.

“Only those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakah, and fear none but Allah maintain the mosques of Allah. It is they who may be among the rightly guided.”

He thus made clear that those who maintain the mosques are those who fear none but Allah. Whoever fears none but Allah places his hope and trust in Him alone, for hope and fear are inseparable. Those who make pilgrimages to graves call upon their occupants, implore them, worship them, fear others besides Allah, and place their hope in others besides Allah—like the polytheists who fear their gods and place their hope in them. Thus, when they said to Hūd, peace be upon him, “We say only that some of our gods have afflicted you with evil,” he said, “I call Allah to witness—and you too bear witness—that I am free of what