Quran 16:22 · An-Nahl

As a matter of course, polytheists start worshipping their self-devised saints of previous generations, treating them as holy and close to God, though such worship is absolutely foolish. These great men lying dead in their graves, to whom people pray for the fulfilment of their needs, are themselves in the interim stage after death before Judgement Day. In fact, they do not even know when they will be raised from the dead, not to speak of their being able to help others. ‘They are arrogant’ does not mean that they are arrogant towards God. Who would have the courage to set himself up against the Creator of heaven and earth? In fact, this means that they are haughty towards God’s messenger and not towards God Himself. The subject of God who sets out to be a preacher of the unity of God (tawhid) is lesser in status from the worldly point of view in comparison with his addressees. The addressee being a proponent of the traditional religion, would enjoy a high position in the scheme of things at the time, while the bringer of Truth, being the representative of the ‘new religion’, would be devoid of such status and position. From the material point of view he, therefore, appears to the addressees to be inferior to themselves. So they develop a superiority complex and ignore what he has to say, thinking that his word carries no weight. This is a case of pride on the part of such people, but they present their case as if it were one of principles and ideology. But God very well knows the inner workings of people’s minds and will treat them in accordance not with their mouthings but with what they really are as human beings.