is unequivocally confirmed by the Qur’an. With respect to their acknowledgment of tawhid al-rububiyya—that Allah alone creates and provides—the Most High says: “If you were to ask them, ‘Who created them?’ they would surely say, ‘Allah.’” He also says: “If you were to ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they would surely answer, ‘The All-Mighty, the All-Knowing created them.’” And He says: “Say, ‘To whom belongs the earth and whoever is in it, if you know?’ They will say, ‘To Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then remember?’ Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the mighty Throne?’ They will say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then fear Him?’ Say, ‘In whose hand is the dominion of all things—He protects and none can protect against Him—if you know?’ They will say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘How then are you deluded?’” Likewise: “Say, ‘Who provides for you from the sky and the earth? Who owns hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living? Who directs every affair?’ They will say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then fear Him?’” Their disbelief, however, lay in tawhid al-uluhiyya—the very point of this testimony. Consider His words: “When it was said to them, ‘La ilaha illa Allah,’ they grew arrogant.” Whenever the Prophet invited them to this testimony, they retorted: “Has he made all the gods into one God? This is indeed something astonishing!” (Sad). The earlier polytheists were the same: they denied tawhid al-uluhiyya, and to this form of monotheism their prophets—peace be upon them—summoned them. Allah says: “And to ‘Ad We sent their brother Hud; he said, ‘My people, worship Allah; you have no god but Him. Will you not then fear Him?’” (7:65). They replied: “Have you come to us so that we worship Allah alone and abandon what our fathers worshipped?” (7:70). And He says: “And to Thamud We sent their brother Salih; he said, ‘My people, worship Allah; you have no god but Him…’” (11:61). They said: “O Salih, you were one in whom we placed hopes before this; do you forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped? We are in serious doubt about that to which you call us” (11:62). The Most High also says: “We have surely sent to every nation a messenger [proclaiming], ‘Worship Allah.’” That is, each messenger told his people, “Worship Allah alone,” demonstrating that every community received prophets only to establish exclusive worship, not merely to inform them that He is the Creator of the universe.