*`The Mushrikūn of Makkah committed Shirk in the Tawhid al-Rubūbiyyah`* The Tabiʿī, Imām al-Quraẓī (رحمه الله) says, That Allāh's 3 refutations in _Qur'an 17:111_ relate to 3 claims made by 3 groups: *“The Jews and the Christians said: 'Allāh took a child', and the Arabs said [in the talbīyah]: ' _At Your service, at Your service You have no partner, except a partner You own'_ and the Sabians and Magians said, 'If it were not for the protectors of Allāh, Allāh would be weak.' Thus,* Allāh ﷻ revealed this verse: *“And say, 'Praise be to Allāh, who has no child, _nor has He a partner in His mulk [sovereignty/rule],_ nor is He so weak as to need a protector, and glorify Him constantly.”* وَقُلِ الۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِىۡ لَمۡ يَتَّخِذۡ وَلَدًا وَّلَمۡ يَكُنۡ لَّهٗ شَرِيۡكٌ فِى الۡمُلۡكِ وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ لَّهٗ وَلِىٌّ مِّنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرۡهُ تَكۡبِيۡرًا `[Al-Isrā' 17:111, Tafsir At-Ṭabarī 17:111]` *Mulk refers to what Allāh owns (creation) and has authority/power over. So when Allāh rejects a partner in His mulk as a response to the mushriks’ Talbīyah, we know that the real meaning of "partner" in the Talbīyah is a co-sharer who owns & rules creation, i.e. a lord.* Allāh’s response, again, reveals the mushriks’ Talbīyah to be Shirk ur-rubūbiyyah and this is echoed in the definition of Shirk given in Lisān ul-ʿArab (the most authoritative Arabic dictionary): *“And shirk with Allāh is to make a partner for Him in His Mulk [what he Owns and Rules over]. That is what is called shirk. Allāh the Exalted told a story regarding His servant Luqman that he told his son: 'O son, do not associate with Allāh. Shirk is a great wrongdoing.' And shirk is to make a partner in His lordship [rubūbiyyah].”* `[Kitāb Lisān ul-ʿArab 10/449]`