Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah said, "When the Ayah,

﴿وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ﴾

(and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong).) was revealed, the Companions of the Prophet said, `And who among us did not commit Zulm against himself' The Ayah,

﴿إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾

(Verily! Joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.) ﴿31:13﴾, was later revealed.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said, "When this Ayah was revealed,

﴿الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ﴾

(It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong),) it was hard on the people. They said, `O Allah's Messenger! Who among us did not commit Zulm against himself' He said,

«إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ الَّذِي تَعْنُونَ، أَلَمْ تَسْمَعُوا مَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الصَّالِحُ

(It is not what you understood from it. Did you not hear what the righteous servant (Luqman) said,

﴿يَبُنَىَّ لاَ تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾

(O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily! Shirk is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.)) ﴿31:13﴾. Therefore, it is about Shirk. Allah's statement,

﴿وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ﴾

(And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people.) means, We directed him to proclaim Our proof against them. Mujahid and others said that `Our proof' refers to,

﴿وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلاَ تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُم بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَـناً فَأَىُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالاٌّمْنِ﴾

(And how should I fear those whom you associate in worship with Allah (though they can neither benefit nor harm), while you fear not that you have joined in worship with Allah things for which He has not sent down to you any Sultan. (So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security) Allah has testified Ibrahim's statement and affirmed security and guidance, saying;

﴿الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمُ الاٌّمْنُ وَهُمْ مُّهْتَدُونَ ﴾

(It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm, for them there is security and they are the guided.) Allah said,

﴿وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَـتٍ مَّن نَّشَآءُ﴾

(And that was Our proof which We gave Ibrahim against his people. We raise in degrees whom We will.) And;

﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾

(Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.) He is All-Wise in His statements and actions, All-Knower of those whom He guides or misguides, and whether the proof was established against them or not. Allah also said,

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ ﴾

(Truly! Those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them -- until they see the painful torment.) ﴿10:96-97﴾ This is why Allah said here,

﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾

(Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.)

﴿وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ كُلاًّ هَدَيْنَا وَنُوحاً هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِ دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَـنَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَى وَهَـرُونَ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ - وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَى وَعِيسَى وَإِلْيَاسَ كُلٌّ مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ - وَإِسْمَـعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطاً وَكُلاًّ فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعَـلَمِينَ - وَمِنْ ءابَائِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّـتِهِمْ وَإِخْوَنِهِمْ وَاجْتَبَيْنَـهُمْ وَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ - ذلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِى بِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُواْ لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ - أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ فَإِن يَكْفُرْ بِهَا هَـؤُلاءِ فَقَدْ وَكَّلْنَا بِهَا قَوْماً لَّيْسُواْ بِهَا بِكَـفِرِينَ - أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ قُل لاَّ أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرَى لِلْعَـلَمِينَ ﴾

(84. And We bestowed upon him Ishaq and Ya`qub, each of them We guided, and before him, We guided Nuh and among his progeny Dawud, Sulayman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa, and Harun. Thus do We reward the good-doers.) (85. And Zakariyya, and Yahya and `Isa and Iliyas, each one of them was of the righteous.) (86. And Isma`il and Al-Yasa`, and Yunus and Lut, and each one of them We preferred above the `Alamin (mankind and Jinns, of their times).) (87. And also some of their fathers and their progeny and their brethren, We chose them, and We guided them to a straight path.) (88. This is the guidance of Allah with which He guides whomsoever He wills of His servants. But if they had joined in worship others with Allah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them.) (89. They are those whom We gave the Book, Al-Hukm, and prophethood. But if they disbelieve therein, then, indeed We have entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers therein.) (90. They are those whom Allah had guided. So follow their guidance. Say: "No reward I ask of you for this (the Qur'an). It is only a reminder for the `Alamin (mankind and Jinns).''