(At-twur) 52 : 28
إِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيمُ
Indeed we were invoking Him alone before, indeed He is the Virtuous Merciful.
‘Before’ told in the verse means from this worldly life. As explained in verses 7: 205-206, in the prostration of recitation whoever prays with soul to Allah as ‘Oh Lord, You enter us into the Paradise with the forerunners and Virtuous, Oh the One who sent down Adhikr, Oh the Virtuous Merciful!’ can only say from the Paradise that Allah is the Virtuous Merciful. See explanation 3: 191; 38: 24; and 39: 17-18.