and circumstances in which it is superior to the more excellent act. Yet religion, from beginning to end, outwardly and inwardly, consists in affirming Allah’s oneness and devoting all religion sincerely to Him. This is the true realization of the declaration, “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.” Although Muslims share in acknowledging this declaration, they differ in the extent to which they truly realize it, to a degree we cannot measure. Indeed, many of them imagine that the obligatory affirmation of Allah’s oneness consists merely in acknowledging and believing that Allah is the Creator and Lord of everything. They do not distinguish between acknowledging Allah’s oneness in His lordship—which the Arab polytheists acknowledged—and affirming His exclusive right to worship, to which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, called them. Nor do they combine affirming Allah’s oneness in word with doing so in deed.

The polytheists did not say that the universe was created by two creators, or that alongside Allah there was another lord who independently created anything without Him. Rather, they were as Allah described them:

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

And He, the Exalted, said:

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

And He, the Exalted, said:

“Say, ‘To whom belong the earth and whoever is in it, if you know?’”

“They will say, ‘To Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then take heed?’”

“Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne?’”

“They will say, ‘They belong to Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then fear Him?’”

“Say, ‘In whose hand is the dominion of all things, who protects while none can protect against Him, if you know?’”

“They will say, ‘All belongs to Allah.’ Say, ‘How then are you deluded?’”

Yet despite acknowledging that Allah alone is the Creator, they would set up gods alongside Him