969 — Muhammad ibn Ja‘far informed us: ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Thabit narrated to us: Ahmad ibn Mansur narrated to us: ‘Abd Allah ibn Salih narrated to us: Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih narrated to us, from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn ‘Abbas, concerning His saying, “Had Allah willed, we would not have associated others with Him” [Surah al-An‘am, 6:148]. He said: “Likewise, those before them denied; then they said, ‘Had Allah willed, they would not have associated others with Him.’ For they said, ‘Our worship of the deities brings us nearer to Allah.’ Thus Allah informed them that it would not bring them nearer to Him.”