enmity and hatred forever, until you believe in Allah.’” He also said:

“And ask the messengers We sent before you: did We appoint gods besides the Most Merciful to be worshipped?”

He related that His messengers, such as Noah, Hūd, Sālih, and others, said to their people:

“Worship Allah; you have no deity worthy of worship except Him.”

He said of the People of the Cave:

“They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and said, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never invoke any god besides Him, for then we would have said something far removed from the truth.’”

The passage continues to His words:

“Who, then, is more unjust than one who fabricates a lie against Allah?”

He, glorified be He, also said:

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

He stated this in two places in His Book. In His Book, He also explained the association of angels, prophets, celestial bodies, and idols with Allah—and the root of all such association is associating Satan with Him. He said of the Christians:

“They took their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, son of Mary, although they were commanded only to worship one God. There is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Glory be to Him, far above whatever they associate with Him.”

Allah Most High said:

“And when Allah said, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, did you tell people, “Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah”?’ He said, ‘Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to say. Had I said it, You would surely have known it. You know what is within myself, whereas I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, You alone know all that is unseen. I told them nothing except what You commanded me: “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.”’”

Allah Most High also said:

“It is not for any human being to be granted by