Allah commands His servants to single Him out alone for worship and that none should be supplicated to along with Him, nor should any partners be associated with Him. As Qatadah said concerning Allah's statement,

﴿وَأَنَّ الْمَسَـجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلاَ تَدْعُواْ مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَداً ﴾

(And the Masjids are for Allah, so invoke not anyone along with Allah.) "Whenever the Jews and Christians used to enter their churches and synagogues, they would associate partners with Allah. Thus, Allah commanded His Prophet to tell them that they should single Him out alone for worship.'' Ibn Jarir recorded from Sa`id bin Jubayr that he said concerning this verse,

﴿وَأَنَّ الْمَسَـجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلاَ تَدْعُواْ مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَداً ﴾

(And the Masjids are for Allah, so invoke not anyone along with Allah.) "The Jinns said to the Prophet of Allah , `How can we come to the Masjid while we are distant - meaning very far away - from you And how can we be present for the prayer while we are far away from you' So Allah revealed this Ayah,

﴿وَأَنَّ الْمَسَـجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلاَ تَدْعُواْ مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَداً ﴾

(And the Masjids are for Allah, so invoke not anyone along with Allah.)'' The Jinns crowding together to hear the Qur'an Allah said,

﴿وَأَنَّهُ لَّمَا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَداً ﴾

(And when the servant of Allah stood up invoking Him in prayer they just made round him a dense crowd as if sticking one over the other.) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "When they heard the Prophet reciting the Qur'an they almost mounted on top of him due to their zeal. When they heard him reciting the Qur'an they drew very near to him. He was unaware of them until the messenger (i.e., Jibril) came to him and made him recite,

﴿قُلْ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ﴾

(Say: "It has been revealed to me that a group of Jinn listened.'') (72:1) They were listening to the Qur'an.'' This is one opinion and it has been reported from Az-Zubayr bin Al-`Awwam. Ibn Jarir recorded from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "The Jinns said to their people,

﴿لَّمَا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَداً﴾

(when the servant of Allah stood up invoking Him in prayer they just made round him a dense crowd as if sticking one over the other.) )'' This is the second view and it has also been reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr. Al-Hasan said, "When the Messenger of Allah stood up and said none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and he called the people to their Lord, the Arabs almost crowded over him together (against him).'' Qatadah said concerning Allah's statement,

﴿وَأَنَّهُ لَّمَا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُواْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَداً ﴾

(when the servant of Allah stood up invoking Him in prayer they just made round him a dense crowd as if sticking one over the other.) "Humans and Jinns both crowded together over this matter in order to extinguish it. However, Allah insisted upon helping it, supporting it and making it victorious over those who opposed it.'' This is the third view and it has also been reported from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ibn Zayd. It was also the view preferred by Ibn Jarir. This view seems to be the most apparent meaning of the Ayah due to Allah's statement which follows it,

﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَدْعُو رَبِّى وَلاَ أُشْرِكُ بِهِ أَحَداً ﴾

(Say: "I invoke only my Lord, and I associate none as partners along with Him.'') meaning, when they harmed him, opposed him, denied him and stood against him in order to thwart the truth he came with, and to unite against him, the Messenger said to them

﴿إِنَّمَآ أَدْعُو رَبِّى﴾

(I invoke only my Lord,) meaning, `I only worship my Lord alone, and He has no partners. I seek His help and I put my trust in Him.'

﴿وَلاَ أُشْرِكُ بِهِ أَحَداً﴾

(and I associate none as partners along with Him.)