but rather His creating them with darkness and impurity veiled them from Him; so when He wills, He makes known to whomever He wills Himself, however He wills."

And from al-Mufaddal, from him is peace, he said: I walked with my master al-Sadiq, majestic is His mention, in the paths of Medina, when suddenly a man stretched his hand toward the heaven while he was supplicating. So my master said: "O Mufaddal, do you see this wretched one worshipping the air? Had he deserved that Allah look upon him, he would have seen Him."

And from al-Mufaddal, from him is peace, he said: It was narrated from al-Sadiq, majestic is His mention, that he saw a man raising his sight toward the heaven and supplicating, so he said: "A devil wagging his tail to a devil; and had he deserved that Allah look upon him, he would have seen Him."

So all of this is an allusion that the worshipped entity is existing, and not non-existent.

And it was narrated from the Master Muhammad, majestic is His mention, that he said: "My Lord promised me that He would fight before me,"