the Most Merciful, deities to be worshipped?” Yet these heretics claim that everything is a deity that is worshipped. He, glorified be He, declares that He has appointed no deities besides the Most Merciful. Allah Most High also said:

“We certainly sent a messenger to every nation, saying: ‘Worship Allah and shun false objects of worship.’”

Allah, glorified be He, thus commanded that He be worshipped and that false objects of worship be shunned. According to these people, however, Allah is within all such objects, or they are Allah, and whoever worships them worships none but Allah. Allah Most High said:

“O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you”—the two verses.

He, glorified be He, commanded people to worship the Lord who created these signs. According to these accursed heretics, however, He is identical with these signs. He, glorified be He, forbade people to set up rivals to Him. Yet according to them, this is inconceivable, for those rivals are identical with Him: how, then, could He be His own rival? Those who worshipped these rivals therefore worshipped none but Him.

Furthermore, these heretics argued from the polytheists’ calling what they worshipped gods, as when they said:

“Has he made the gods into one God?”

They believed that, because the polytheists called them gods, this designation was evidence that they truly possessed divinity.

Allah has refuted this argument of the polytheists in several places. For example, He, glorified be He, relates that Hūd said to the polytheists among his people:

“Do you argue with me about names that you and your forefathers have given?”—the verse.

This refutes their statement:

“Have you come to us so that we may worship Allah alone and abandon what our forefathers worshipped?”

Thus Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, explained that their calling them gods