The purpose of the surah, then, is for the believer to disavow them and inform them that they are disassociated from him. His disavowal of them is a performative declaration that he brings into effect, just as one does by uttering the two testimonies of faith. This can increase or decrease, grow stronger or weaker. As for them, he is reporting their disassociation from him in this state, not bringing about anything in them that was not already there.

The believer’s words concerning their condition are therefore a statement of fact, and a statement of fact corresponds to what it describes. Thus, the wording of his statement about them does not change, since whenever he worships Allah, they do not worship what he worships. This declarative wording corresponds to their condition at all times, whether their disbelief increases or decreases. The believer may not bring about an increase in their disbelief, for that is forbidden. Rather, he is commanded to call them to faith. Nor may he understate their actual condition when describing them. His account of their condition therefore neither adds to nor subtracts from what they actually are. Accordingly, the declarative wording remains unchanged in the two cases: the same wording is used in both.

As for the believer himself, he is commanded to cultivate greater sincerity towards Allah alone, worship Him alone, and renounce every object of worship besides Him—to cultivate his worship of Allah and his disavowal of every such object and its worshippers.

His words:

“I do not worship what you worship,”

although declarative in form, have a performative meaning, like other performative expressions, such as:

“I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,”

and:

“Indeed, I am free of what you worship, except the One who created me,”

and:

“Indeed, I am free of whatever you associate with Allah.”

All these utterances have a performative meaning, which the believer brings into effect within