also. In the Musnad and elsewhere is the hadith of Husayn al-Khuzā‘ī, whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked: “Husayn, how many gods do you worship today?”

He replied: “Seven gods: six on earth and one in heaven.”

He asked: “Which of them do you turn to in hope and fear?”

He replied: “The One in heaven.”

The reply is: This is what the polytheists say, just as the Jews and Christians say, “We worship Allah.” They imagine that worshipping Him while associating partners with Him constitutes worship, but their claim is false.

As for the words of Allah’s intimate friend, there are two interpretations. One group said that this is an exception referring to something outside the class mentioned. ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Zayd said: “They used to worship Allah alongside their gods.” According to this interpretation, the expression is qualified, for he said, “what you worship.” He thus called it worship when the intended meaning was understood, but it is not worship that Allah recognizes as such. For, as He, Most High, said:

“I have less need of partners than anyone. Whoever performs a deed in which he associates another with Me, I disavow it, and it belongs entirely to the one he associated with Me.”

This is like His words, Most High:

“Most of them do not believe in Allah without associating others with Him.”

He called it belief with a qualification. Otherwise, a polytheist who sets up another god alongside Allah is not included within the meaning of faith when the term is used without qualification. He also said:

“They believe in jibt and tāghūt.”

And:

“Give them tidings of a painful punishment.”

These expressions are qualified. Used without qualification, faith means faith in Allah, and glad tidings mean tidings of good.