and the evidence for the righteous is His saying: "Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord, striving as to which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment." (Al-Isrāʾ, 57) and the evidence for the trees and stones is His saying: "So have you considered al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā and Manāt, the third - the other?" (Al-Najm, 19-20), and the ḥadīth of Abū Wāqid al-Laythī (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu) who said: "We went out with the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) to Ḥunayn while we were new to disbelief, and the polytheists had a lote-tree at which they would stay and hang their weapons, called Dhāt Anwāṭ. We passed by a lote-tree and said: 'O Messenger of Allāh, make for us a Dhāt Anwāṭ as they have a Dhāt Anwāṭ.'" The ḥadīth.

that the polytheists of our time are more severe in their shirk than the former ones, because the former ones would associate partners [with Allāh] in times of ease and be sincere in times of hardship, while the polytheists of our time commit shirk both in ease and hardship. and the evidence is His saying: "And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allāh, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him." (Al-ʿAnkabūt, 65) Completed, and may Allāh send blessings upon Muḥammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.