This religion was followed by many people in Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, Iraq, and elsewhere. Its adherents were present before the advent of the religion of the Messiah, peace be upon him. The congregational mosques of Damascus and Harrān, among others, occupied the sites of some of their temples: one a temple of Jupiter, another a temple of Venus. They used to pray facing the north pole, and Damascus has ancient prayer niches facing north. The Greek philosophers belonged to this same kind of polytheist: they worshipped celestial bodies and idols and practised sorcery. The same was true of the people of Egypt and others. Most polytheists acknowledged the Lord of all worlds; those who denied Him, such as Pharaoh and others like him, were few.

Abraham’s people acknowledged the Creator. Hence Abraham, the intimate friend of Allah, said to them:

“Have you considered what you have been worshipping—you and your forefathers? They are enemies to me, except the Lord of all worlds.”

Thus he declared his enmity towards everything they worshipped except the Lord of all worlds. Allah Most High said:

“You have an excellent example in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘We disavow you and whatever you worship besides Allah. We reject you, and enmity and hatred have arisen between us and you forever, until you believe in Allah alone’—except for Abraham’s words to his father, ‘I will surely seek forgiveness for you, though I have no power to protect you from Allah at all.’”

Abraham, Allah’s intimate friend, peace be upon him, said:

“Do you worship what you carve, when Allah created you and what you do?”

Allah Most High said in Sūrat al-Anʿām:

“When it set, he said, ‘O my people, I am free of whatever you associate with Allah. I have turned my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, devoted to pure monotheism, and I am not one of the polytheists.’

“His people disputed with him. He said, ‘Do you dispute with me concerning Allah, when He has guided me? I do not fear those you associate with Him, unless