The point here is that the purpose of all this is for people to uphold justice. Thus, when the polytheists prohibited things for which Allah had sent down no authority and commanded things for which Allah had sent down no authority, Allah revealed passages in Sūrat al-An‘ām, Sūrat al-A‘rāf and elsewhere condemning them for this and explaining what He Himself had commanded and prohibited. He said:

“Say, ‘My Lord has commanded justice. Turn your faces toward Him at every place of prayer, and call upon Him, devoting your religion sincerely to Him.’”

And He, Most High, said:

“Say, ‘My Lord has only forbidden shameful deeds, whether committed openly or in secret; sin; unjust aggression; associating with Allah that for which He has sent down no authority; and saying about Allah what you do not know.’”

This verse encompasses all categories of prohibited acts, as we have explained elsewhere, while the preceding verse encompasses all categories of obligations, as we have also explained. In His words:

“My Lord has commanded justice. Turn your faces toward Him at every place of prayer, and call upon Him, devoting your religion sincerely to Him,”

He commands, alongside justice, the affirmation of His oneness: worshipping Allah alone, without any partner. This is the foundation of the religion, and its opposite is the sin that is not forgiven. He, Most High, said:

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives anything less than that for whomever He wills.”

This is the religion that Allah commanded all the messengers to follow and with which He sent them to all nations. He, Most High, said:

“We never sent a messenger before you without revealing to him: ‘There is no deity but Me, so worship Me.’”

And He, Most High, said: “And ask those whom