The Shaykh Al-Albani mentions the belief of the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance regarding Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that they acknowledged His oneness of lordship, and explains the meaning of worship

The Shaykh : Therefore, it is mentioned in Sahih Muslim that in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, when they circumambulated the Ka'bah out of their severe misguidance, they would chant the talbiyah, saying: "Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, no partner do You have, except a partner whose is what he owns and what he controls. You are the One Lord who controls what they control." They worshipped them besides Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). Therefore, a Muslim who unites Allah in his belief with the oneness of lordship should not limit himself to that. This is necessary; it is the first condition. But it is not sufficient unless the second type of tawhid is added to it, which is the oneness of worship: that you worship Allah alone, having no partner for Him. What is worship? Here, too, a pause is necessary, because we are living in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance; it is the very same first pre-Islamic age of ignorance, except for whom Allah wills to guide to a straight path. Worship is every command that Allah has commanded the Muslims to draw near to Him with, whether it is an obligatory act, a recommended practice, or a recommended act. If this worship is directed to other than Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), such as the awliya (close friends of Allah), the prophets, or the righteous, then the one who directs this type of worship to other than Allah has associated partners with Allah in His oneness of worship. And his saying "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah) at that time will not benefit him, because he has not understood the meaning of this phrase, whereas the polytheists understood the meaning and disbelieved in it. Therefore, they objected to the Prophet, and indeed to the prophets, when they called upon them to worship Allah alone, having no partner for Him.