As for the Most High’s saying:

“Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create a fly, even if they all gathered for that purpose.”

The verse continues. And His saying:

“They invoke none but female deities besides Him.”

The verse continues. And His saying:

“And those they used to invoke before will have vanished from them.”

The verse continues. In these and every other passage mentioning the polytheists’ invocation of their idols, what is meant is invocation through worship, which includes invocation through petition. The reference to invocation through worship is more evident, for three reasons:

First: They said:

“We worship them only that they may bring us nearer to Allah.”

They thus acknowledged that their invocation of them was their worship of them.

Second: Allah Most High explained this invocation elsewhere, as in His saying:

“And it will be said to them, ‘Where are those you used to worship besides Allah? Can they help you, or even help themselves?’”

And His saying:

“Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell. You will enter it.”

And His saying:

“I do not worship what you worship.”

Thus, their invocation of their gods is their worship of them.

Third: They used to worship them in times of ease, but when hardship befell them, they invoked Allah alone and abandoned them. Nevertheless, they would ask them to meet some of their needs and make requests of them. Their invocation of them was therefore both invocation through worship and invocation through petition.

As for the Most High’s saying:

“So invoke Allah, devoting your religion sincerely to Him.”

This is invocation through worship. It means: worship Him alone and devote your worship sincerely to Him; do not worship anyone else alongside Him.