They said: Neither that knowledge nor that acknowledgment constitutes faith. Rather, it is a natural acknowledgment of the Lord—an innate disposition He fixed in their hearts. Then He sent them messengers, calling them to acknowledge His lordship and submit to Him, affirming what the messengers brought. Some of them denied and rejected Him after knowing Him, even while still knowing Him. For Allah would not have called His creation to believe in Him without having made Himself known to them; otherwise, He would have required them to believe in what they did not know.

They said: This is confirmed by the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:

‘If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say, “Allah.”’

They also cited what al-Suddī related from his companions,” as mentioned earlier.

He also narrated, with his chain of transmission, in the well-known Quran commentary, from Abū Jaʿfar al-Rāzī: “From al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas, from Abū al-ʿĀliyah, from Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, concerning the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:

‘And when your Lord took from the children of Adam—from their loins—their descendants,’

up to His words:

‘Will You then destroy us for what those who followed falsehood did?’