a disbeliever, while the messengers themselves had no knowledge of it before revelation, let alone acknowledged it.

Allah Most High says:

“He sends down the angels with revelation by His command”—to the end of the verse.

He also says:

“He sends revelation by His command to whomever He wills of His servants, to warn of the Day of Meeting.”

Thus, He placed their warning concerning monotheism on the same footing as their warning of the Day of Meeting: they learned of both through revelation. As for the report that idols were made hateful to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, this need not have been the case for every prophet, for he is the foremost of the children of Adam. A messenger who grows up among disbelieving people among whom there is no prophethood is more perfect than others by virtue of Allah’s support through knowledge and guidance, victory and ascendancy, as was the case with Noah and Abraham.

This is why Allah mentions the two of them in connection with this matter in such statements as:

“We certainly sent Noah and Abraham”—to the end of the verse.

“Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, and the family of Abraham”—to the end of the verse.

Noah was the first messenger sent to polytheists, and their polytheism began with the veneration of the righteous dead. As for Abraham’s people, their polytheism began with the worship of celestial bodies. The former was earthly polytheism, and the latter heavenly polytheism. This is why the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, blocked the avenues leading to both.