And He, Most High, said:

“And most of them do not believe in Allah without associating partners with Him.” 1.

Ibn Jarīr said in his commentary on this verse: “Allah, exalted be His praise, is saying that most of those whom He, the Mighty and Majestic, describes in His words—‘How many signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by, turning away from them!’ 2—do not acknowledge Allah as their Creator and Provider and the Creator of all things without also associating partners with Him by worshipping idols and images, taking lords besides Him, and claiming that He has a child. Exalted is Allah above what they say! The Quranic commentators have offered an interpretation similar to what we have stated …”

He then narrated that Ibn ʿAbbās said: “An aspect of their belief is that, when asked, ‘Who created the heaven, who created the earth, and who created the mountains?’ they say, ‘Allah,’ even though they associate partners with Him.”

He also narrated that ʿIkrima said: “You ask them who created them and who created the heavens and the earth, and they say, ‘Allah.’ That is their belief in Allah, yet they worship others besides Him.”

And Mujāhid said: “Their belief consists in their saying, ‘Allah is our Creator; He provides for us and causes us to die.’ This is belief combined with associating partners with Him by worshipping others.”

And ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam said: “No one worships another alongside Allah without also believing in Allah and knowing that Allah is his Lord, Creator and Provider, even as he associates partners with Him. Do you not see how Abraham said: ‘Have you considered what you have been worshipping—you and your forefathers? They are enemies to me, except the Lord of all worlds.’ 3 He knew that they worshipped the Lord of all worlds