Do not associate Anything in Worship with Allah

Allah says,

لاَّ تَجْعَل مَعَ اللّهِ إِلَـهًا آخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَّخْذُولاً ﴿٢٢﴾

Set not up with Allah any other ilah (god), or you will sit down reproved, forsaken (in the Hellfire).

Addressing those who are responsible among this Ummah, Allah says, "Do not admit any partner into your worship of your Lord.''

فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا (or you will sit down reproved),

meaning, because of associating others with Him.

مَّخْذُولاً (forsaken),

means, because the Lord, may He be exalted, will not help you; He will leave you to the one whom you worshipped, and he has no power either to benefit or to harm, because the Only One Who has the power to benefit or to harm is Allah alone, with no partner or associate.

Imam Ahmad reported that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said:

"The Messenger of Allah said:

مَنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فَاقَةٌ فَأَنْزَلَهَا بِالنَّاسِ لَمْ تُسَدَّ فَاقَتُهُ، وَمَنْ أَنْزَلَهَا بِاللهِ أَرْسَلَ اللهُ لَهُ بِالْغِنَى إِمَّا آجِلًا وَإِمَّا غِنىً عَاجِلًا

Whoever is afflicted with poverty and goes and asks people for help, will never get rid of his poverty, but if he asks Allah for help, then Allah will grant him the means of independence sooner or later.

This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who said, "Hasan Sahih Gharib''.