What is the meaning of: {And most of them do not believe in Allah except while they are associating partners with Allah}?
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Q: A brother asks about the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Yusuf:106]. What is the meaning of the verse? And what is intended by shirk (associating partners with Allah) in the noble verse?
A: The scholars have clarified its meaning, such as Ibn Abbas and others. Its meaning is that when the polytheists are asked who created the heavens and the earth and who created them, they say Allah. Yet despite this, they worship idols and statues like al-Lat and al-Uzza and the like, they call upon them for aid, they make vows to them, and they slaughter for them. This faith of theirs is tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), but it is invalidated and corrupted by their shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah the Exalted, and it does not benefit them. Abu Jahl and his like believed that Allah is their Creator, their Provider, and the Creator of the heavens and the earth, but this did not benefit them because they associated partners with Allah by worshipping idols and statues. This is the meaning of the verse according to the people of knowledge.
And most of them believe not in Allah except while they associate others with Him.
وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ إِلا وَهُمْ مُشْرِكُونَA: The scholars have clarified its meaning, such as Ibn Abbas and others. Its meaning is that when the polytheists are asked who created the heavens and the earth and who created them, they say Allah. Yet despite this, they worship idols and statues like al-Lat and al-Uzza and the like, they call upon them for aid, they make vows to them, and they slaughter for them. This faith of theirs is tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship), but it is invalidated and corrupted by their shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah the Exalted, and it does not benefit them. Abu Jahl and his like believed that Allah is their Creator, their Provider, and the Creator of the heavens and the earth, but this did not benefit them because they associated partners with Allah by worshipping idols and statues. This is the meaning of the verse according to the people of knowledge.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.