the clear proof had come to them.” And Allah Most High says:

“They did not become divided until after knowledge had come to them, out of wrongful rivalry among themselves.”

For this reason, Allah Most High described them in terms similar to those in which He described Pharaoh, and gave others power over them, through whom He exacted retribution from them. He says of Pharaoh:

“Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and divided its people into factions, oppressing one group among them, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women. Indeed, he was one of those who spread corruption.”

And He says of them:

“We declared to the Children of Israel in the Scripture: ‘You will surely spread corruption in the land twice, and you will surely become exceedingly arrogant.’”

For this reason, Allah Most High says:

“That abode of the Hereafter We assign to those who seek neither exaltation in the land nor corruption.”

Allah, glorified and exalted is He, created His creatures solely to worship Him: to remember Him, thank Him, and worship Him. He sent the messengers and revealed the Scriptures so that they would worship Allah alone, so that all religion would be devoted to Allah, and so that Allah’s word would be supreme. Every messenger He sent bore this same message. Allah Most High says:

“We never sent a messenger before you without revealing to him: ‘There is no god worthy of worship but Me, so worship Me.’”

And Allah Most High says:

“Ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: ‘Did We appoint any gods besides the Most Merciful to be worshipped?’”

Allah commanded all the messengers to uphold this and not to become divided over it. He says:

“Indeed,