“We brought the Children of Israel across the sea, and they came upon a people devoted to their idols. They said, ‘O Moses, make us a god just as they have gods.’ He said, ‘You are indeed an ignorant people.’”

“‘What these people follow is doomed to destruction, and all they have been doing is false.’”

“He said, ‘Should I seek a god for you other than Allah, when He has favoured you above all peoples?’”

The Exalted said concerning Abraham, His close friend:

“When he said to his father, ‘O my father, why do you worship what can neither hear nor see, nor benefit you at all?’”

“‘O my father, knowledge has come to me that has not come to you, so follow me, and I will guide you to a straight path.’”

“‘O my father, do not worship Satan. Indeed, Satan has been rebellious against the Most Merciful.’”

“‘O my father, I fear that a punishment from the Most Merciful may touch you, and you would become a companion of Satan.’”

“He said, ‘Do you reject my gods, O Abraham? If you do not desist, I will surely stone you. Leave me for a long while.’”

“He said, ‘Peace be upon you. I will ask my Lord to forgive you. He has always been gracious to me.’”

“‘I will withdraw from you and from what you invoke besides Allah, and I will invoke my Lord. I trust that I will not be disappointed in calling upon my Lord.’”

“When he withdrew from them and from what they worshipped besides Allah, We granted him Isaac and Jacob, and made each of them a prophet.”

“We bestowed upon them Our mercy and granted them lofty, honourable renown.”

Thus He, glorified be He, says:

“When he withdrew from them and from what they worshipped besides Allah.”

Yet these heretics say: “In every object of worship, we have worshipped none other than Allah.”

And the Exalted said:

“In his absence, the people of Moses made from their ornaments a calf in bodily form