and objects of worship was a designation invented by them and their forefathers, for which Allah had sent down neither proof nor authority. Judgment belongs to Allah alone. He, glorified be He, has commanded that none but Him be worshipped. How, then, can the words of polytheists who have no proof be cited as evidence, when Allah has refuted their claim? He has commanded His creatures to worship Him alone, rather than these idols that the polytheists called gods. Yet according to the heretics, those who worship idols have worshipped none but Allah.

Furthermore, the polytheists objected to the Messenger when he came to them so that they would worship Allah alone and abandon what their forefathers had worshipped. If they had always been worshipping Allah alone, as the heretics claim, then they would not have been called to abandon what their forefathers worshipped. Rather, he and the other prophets would have come to them so that everything their forefathers worshipped would be worshipped.

Likewise, He, glorified be He, relates Joseph’s words in the surah of Joseph:

“O my two fellow prisoners! Are many separate lords better, or Allah, the One, the All-Prevailing? You worship nothing besides Him but names that you and your forefathers have given, for which Allah has sent down no authority.”

Up to His words:

“But most people do not know.”

He, glorified be He, also said:

“Have you considered al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, and Manāt, the third and last?”

Up to His words:

“Yet guidance has certainly come to them from their Lord.”

These three mentioned in this surah were the great, prominent idols that the polytheists would regularly visit from their towns. Al-Lāt was on the coast, opposite Qudayd