Allah commanded him to disavow everything worshipped besides Him. This is the religion of Abraham, Allah’s intimate friend, and he was sent with that same religion. Allah Most High said:

“And when Abraham said to his father and his people, ‘I am free of what you worship, except the One who created me, for He will guide me.’ And he made this an enduring word among his descendants.”

Abraham, Allah’s intimate friend, also said:

“O my people, I am free of whatever you associate with Allah. I have turned my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, inclining solely to Him, and I am not one of the polytheists.”

Allah also said:

“You have an excellent example in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘We are free of you and whatever you worship besides Allah. We reject you, and enmity and hatred have arisen between us and you forever, until you believe in Allah alone.’”

He said to His Prophet:

“If they deny you, say, ‘To me belong my deeds, and to you belong yours. You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do.’”

Thus Allah commanded him to disavow the deeds of everyone who denied him. This disavowal encompasses both the polytheists and the People of the Book. Al-Mahdawī mentioned this view alongside two others. He said:

“The definite article refers to a known group, although it denotes a class insofar as the word is an adjective, for its lām addresses those whom Allah knew beforehand would die as disbelievers. Thus, this is a particular reference expressed in general terms. The passages repeated in this surah involve no repetition in either meaning or wording, except in