‘Adiyy ibn Hātim, a noble Companion, heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recite a verse indicating that the Jews and Christians took their scholars and devout people as deities. They would legislate for them rulings opposite to Allah's legislations and would be obeyed. On hearing the verse, ‘Adiyy could not understand what it means, because he thought that worship was confined to prostration and similar acts. Therefore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that part of worshipping the rabbis and monks lies in obeying them in forbidding the lawful and allowing the forbidden, thus contradicting the divine and prophetic legislation.