﴿ أَلَا لِلَّهِ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْخَالِصُ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِى مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَنْ هُوَ كَٰذِبٌۭ كَفَّارٌۭ ﴾

“Is it not to God alone that all sincere faith is due? And yet, they who take for their protectors aught beside Him [are wont to say], “We worship them for no other reason than that they bring us nearer to God.” Behold, God will judge between them [on Resur­rection Day] with regard to all wherein they differ [from the truth]: for, verily, God does not grace with His guidance anyone who is bent on lying [to himself and is] stubbornly ingrate!”

(Surely Pure religion is) sincerity in religion is enjoined upon people (for Allah only. And those who choose) and those who worship (protecting friends) deities: al-Lat, al-'Uzza and Manat (beside Him) beside Allah, i.e. the disbelievers of Mecca ((say): We worship them only that they may bring us near unto Allah) near to Allah in rank and intercession. (Lo! Allah will judge between them) and the believers on the Day of Judgement (concerning that wherein) in the matter of religion (they differ) they contravene. (Lo! Allah guideth not) to his religion (him who is a liar) about Allah, (an ingrate) and disbelieves in Allah; the reference here is to the Jews, Christians, the Banu Malih, the Magians and the Arab idolaters.