Erasing the Accusation of Shirk

Ali: The polytheists of Makkah believed that Allah was the Creator, they
worshipped Him and in difficult times they would invoke Allah. However,
they also believed that the deceased pious were the intermediates between
themselves and Allah as Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:
029.061 And if thou wert to ask them: Who created the heavens and the
earth, and constrained the sun and the moon (to their appointed work) ?
they would say: Allah. How then are they turned away ?
029.062 Allah maketh the provision wide for whom He will of His bondmen,
and straiteneth it for whom (He will). Lo! Allah is Aware of all things.
029.063 And if thou wert to ask them: Who causeth water to come down
from the sky, and therewith reviveth the earth after its death ? they verily
would say: Allah. Say: Praise be to Allah! But most of them have no sense
These verses prove that the polytheists of Makkah did not deny Allah and
they worshipped Him, however, they made intermediates between
themselves and Allah.
Qadhi: This is correct. The polytheists of Makkah did believe in Allah,
though they did not associate the deceased pious with Him in any way. They
did that for Lat, Mannat and Uzza (their idols).
They believed in two gods, though they believed their gods were
rivals with the one God.
They gave their idols a higher status than Allah. For example, if they
distributed 10 dates for the sake of Allah, they would distribute 12 for
their idols. (I seek shelter in Allah!)
When they slaughtered animals they invoked the names of their idols.
They used to make sacrifices for their idols.
They thought their gods were entitled to be worshipped therefore they
worshipped them.
When someone would insult or swear at their idols they would insult
and swear at Allah. (I seek shelter in Allah!)
They would sacrifice their children in order to please their idols.
They would harvest in the name of their idols.
SETTING UP RIVALS TO ALLAH
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