Our signs came to you, but you forgot them; likewise, today you will be forgotten.’”

He informs us that those who abandoned following His signs will suffer what we have mentioned. It has thus become clear that the foundation of happiness and deliverance from punishment is to affirm Allah’s oneness by worshipping Him alone, without partner, to believe in His messengers and the Last Day, and to do righteous deeds.

These things are absent from their innovated wisdom and philosophy. It contains no command to worship Allah alone or prohibition against worshipping created beings. Rather, all polytheism in the world arose through the ideas of people of their kind. They based it on the powers and natural properties of spirits and bodies, and on the notion that making talismans and idols and worshipping them brings benefits and wards off harm. They are thus the ones who command polytheism and practise it. Those among them who do not command it do not forbid it either; instead, they accept both groups. Even if monotheists are given some preference, another of them may favour the polytheists, or may disregard both alternatives altogether. Reflect on this, for it is most beneficial.

For this reason, their leading figures, both earlier and later, used to command polytheism. The earlier ones called the celestial bodies the lesser gods and worshipped them through various forms of worship. Likewise, those within Islam did not forbid polytheism and require monotheism; rather, they permitted polytheism, commanded it, or did not require monotheism.