And His words:

“For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”

This addresses every disbeliever, even if he later embraces Islam. His religion before Islam was his own, and the believers disavow it, even if Allah forgives him for it when he repents of it. As He said to His Prophet:

“But if they disobey you, say, ‘I am free of what you do.’”

For he disavows the sins of his Companions, even if they repent of them. This is like His words:

“And if they deny you, say, ‘For me are my deeds, and for you are your deeds. You are free of responsibility for what I do, and I am free of responsibility for what you do.’”

Ibn Abī Hātim related: My father narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Jurashī narrated to us: Abū Khalaf ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Īsā narrated to us: Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind narrated to us, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbās:

“Quraysh offered the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, enough wealth to make him the richest man among them, to marry him to whichever women he wished, and to follow at his heels—that is, to make him their leader. They said, ‘We offer you all this, O Muhammad, if you stop reviling our gods and do not speak ill of them. If you will not, we offer you one proposal that will benefit both you and us.’

“He asked, ‘What is it?’

“They said, ‘Worship our gods, al-Lāt and al-‘Uzzā, for a year, and we will worship your God for a year.’

“He said, ‘Let me wait until I see what comes to me from my Lord.’

“Then revelation came to him from Allah, from the Preserved Tablet: ‘Say, O disbelievers!’ to the end of the surah. Allah also revealed to him:

“‘Say, “Is it other than Allah that you command me to worship, O ignorant ones?”’

“‘It has certainly been revealed to you and to those before you: “If you associate partners with Allah, your deeds will surely come to nothing, and you will certainly be among the losers.”’

“‘Rather, worship Allah and be among the grateful.’”