whom they associate as a partner with Allah and from whom they seek deliverance. Food, money, weapons, or other things they request then descend to them through the air. They imagine this to be a miraculous favour granted to their shaykh, whereas it is all the work of devils. This is one of the chief causes that have led to the worship of idols. Abraham, the intimate friend of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

“Keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.”

“My Lord, they have indeed led many people astray.”

Noah, peace be upon him, also spoke similarly. It is well known that a stone does not lead many people astray without some cause that brings about their misguidance. None of the idol worshippers believed that their idols had created the heavens and the earth. Rather, they took them as intercessors and intermediaries for various reasons. Some fashioned them in the likenesses of prophets and righteous people. Others made them into statues and talismans associated with the stars, the sun, and the moon. Others made them for the jinn, and still others for the angels.

Thus, those whom they intend to worship are the angels, prophets, and righteous people, or the sun or the moon. In reality, however, they worship devils. It is the devils who seek to have human beings worship them and who show them things that induce them to do so. As Allah Most High says:

“And on the Day He gathers them all together, He will then say to the angels, ‘Was it you that these people used to worship?’”

“They will say, ‘Glory be to You! You are our Protector, not they. Rather, they used to worship the jinn; most of them believed in them.’”

If a worshipper does not regard worshipping devils as lawful, they make him think that he is only invoking