"They are but names you have named, you and your forefathers"—meaning: al-Lat, al-'Uzza, and Manat—"Allah has sent down no authority for them," that is, no proof that they are deities. "They follow only conjecture," meaning: their doing so is merely conjecture, "and what the souls desire, although there has come to them from their Lord the guidance," namely, the Quran. Al-Kalbi said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) was praying near the House (the Ka'bah) while the polytheists were sitting. He recited: "By the star when it descends," and kept reflecting until he reached: "Have you considered al-Lat and al-'Uzza and Manat, the third one, another?" The Devil cast upon his tongue: 'Verily, they are the exalted cranes'—meaning: the angels—'and their intercession is to be hoped for,' i.e., they are the ones whose intercession is hoped for. When the Prophet finished his prayer, the polytheists said: 'Muhammad has mentioned our gods in a good way,' so the Prophet said: 'By Allah, that is not how it was revealed to me.' Then Gabriel descended to him, and the Prophet informed him. He said: 'By Allah, I did not teach you that, nor did I bring it to you like that,' so Allah revealed: 'And We did not send before you...'
﴿إِنْ هِيَ إِلا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُم وآباؤكم﴾ يَعْنِي اللات والعزة وَمَنَاة ﴿مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا من سُلْطَان﴾ من حجَّة بِأَنَّهَا آلِهَة ﴿إِنْ يتبعُون﴾ يَعْنِي: الْمُشْركين ﴿إِلَّا الظَّن﴾ أَي: ذَلِك مِنْهُم ظنٌّ ﴿وَمَا تَهْوَى الأَنْفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبهم الْهدى﴾ الْقُرْآن، قَالَ الْكَلْبِيّ: " كَانَ النَّبِي ﷺ يُصَلِّي عِنْد الْبَيْت وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ جلوسٌ فَقَرَأَ: ﴿والنجم إِذا هوى﴾ فحدَّث نَفسه حَتَّى إِذا بلغ ﴿أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّى وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَى﴾ ألْقى الشَّيْطَان على لِسَانه: فَإِنَّهَا من الغرانيق العُلى - يَعْنِي: الْمَلَائِكَة - وَإِن شَفَاعَتهَا ترتجى أَي: هِيَ المرتجى. فَلَمَّا انْصَرف النَّبِي من صلَاته قَالَ الْمُشْركُونَ: قد ذكر محمدٌ آلِهَتنَا بِخَير، فَقَالَ النَّبِي: وَالله مَا كَذَلِك نزلت عليَّ. فَنزل عَلَيْهِ جِبْرِيل فَأخْبرهُ النَّبِي، فَقَالَ: وَالله مَا هَكَذَا علّمْتُك وَمَا جِئْت بهَا هَكَذَا، فَأنْزل اللَّهُ: (وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ
