As vivid evidence to the fact that the idol-worshippers’...

As vivid evidence to the fact that the idol-worshippers’ supplication or invocation is an expression of their belief in the divinity of idols, we introduce the following verse: "فما أغنت عنهم ألهتهم التي يدعون من دون الله من شئ." “Of no avail to them were their gods whom they would invoke besides Allah, in any wise.” [^4] Therefore, the verses under discussion are irrelevant to our subject; our subject is concerned with the asking of one servant from another servant (of God) whom the former does not regard as lord and god nor an omnipotent master and possessor of the affairs in this world and the hereafter; rather, he regards him as an honorable servant who is loved by God and has been chosen for the station of prophethood or imamah {leadership} and God has promised to grant his supplication on behalf of His servants as He says: ﴿ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا ﴾ “Had they, when they wronged themselves, come to you and pleaded Allah for forgiveness, and the Apostle had pleaded for forgiveness for them, they would have surely found Allah all-clement, all-merciful.” [^5] Third: The quoted verses prove clearly that calling on someone { da‘wah } does not mean mere asking for a need or something to be done but a ‘devotional’ call.

As such, in one of the verses, the term “ ‘ibadah ” has been mentioned immediately after the word da‘wah : ﴿ وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ ﴾ “Your Lord has said, ‘Call Me, and I will hear you{r supplications}!’ Indeed those who are disdainful of My worship will enter hell in utter humility.” [^6] We notice that at the beginning of the verse, the term “ ud‘uni ” {call me} is followed by the term “ ‘ibadati ” {My worship}.