A fourth view has also been advanced. Ibn Abī Hātim narrated from Zā’idah, from al-Suddī, concerning His words:

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

He said: “He created them for worship. Some worship is beneficial, and some is not. ‘If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon, they will surely say, “Allah.”’ This acknowledgment on their part is worship, but it does not benefit them while they associate partners with Him.”

This meaning is sound. However, the polytheist worships Satan and whatever he sets up as an equal to Allah; Allah is not being worshipped. Merely acknowledging the Maker while associating partners with Allah is not called worship of Allah. Rather, one should describe it as He does:

“Most of them do not believe in Allah without also associating partners with Him.”

Their belief in the Creator is thus coupled with their association of partners with Him. As for worship, the hadith states: “Allah says: ‘I am utterly free of any need for partners. Whoever performs a deed in which he associates someone else with Me, I disavow him, and that deed belongs entirely to the one he associated with Me.’”

Thus, although the polytheists devote some of their worship to Allah, He accepts none of it. Rather, all of it belongs to those they associate with Him. They have therefore not worshipped Allah, glorified is He.

Similar to this is the interpretation of those who said: “Except to affirm My oneness. The believer affirms His oneness in both hardship and ease, whereas the unbeliever affirms His oneness in hardship and affliction, but not amid blessings and ease. This is illustrated by His words: ‘When they board a ship, they call upon Allah, devoting their worship sincerely to Him.’”

A fifth view has also been advanced. Ibn Abī Hātim related it from Ibn Jurayj, who said: “To know Me.” He said: “It was also reported from Qatādah.” Al-Baghawī attributed it to Mujāhid, saying: “Mujāhid said: ‘Except to know Me.’” He then said: “This is a sound interpretation, for had He not created them, His existence and oneness would not have been known. Its evidence is His words:

‘If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon, they will surely say, “Allah.”’”

The response is: This meaning is sound; the fact that He was known only through His creation of them implies