According to Taberî, this verse describes how most of the polytheists commit shirk (associating partners) with Allah together with a kind of faith that emerges from their response 'Allah' when asked who created the heavens, the earth, and the mountains. That is, they know and say that Allah is the Lord who created them, sustains them, and causes them to die (this is their faith), but despite this, they worship others besides Him and commit shirk. This situation shows that shirk in worship can exist alongside acknowledgment (tawheed of lordship).

إيمانهم قولهم: الله خالقنا، ويرزقنا، ويميتنا، فهذا إيمان مع شرك عبادتهم غيره

According to this exegete, the verse shows that one can present evidence by exposing the contradiction of the other party with their own accepted principles (through ilzam/argumentation by contradiction); although such argumentation may not be independent proof in itself, it is valid for putting the interlocutor in a contradiction. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not prove his prophethood with such words but with clear miracles; however, when his interlocutors stubbornly persisted in their falsehood, he presented them with the kind of evidence they accepted and said that following the way of Ibrahim, which is the universally accepted foundation of religion, was more appropriate. An objection was raised against al-Qadi's explanation, and in response, it was answered that it is established by continuous transmission that Ibrahim did not attribute a child to Allah, and the fact that Jews and Christians claim this proves that their path is separate from Ibrahim's path.

الآية تدل على أن للواحد منا أن يحتج على غيره بما يجري مجرى المناقضة لقوله : إفحا ماله وإن لم يكن ذلك حجة في نفسه لأن من المعلوم أنه عليه السلام لم يكن يحتج على نبوته بأمثال هذه الكلمات بل كان يحتج بالمعجزات الباهرة التي ظهرت عليه

Kurtubî does not confine himself to a single view for this verse but lists many different views transmitted from exegetes: polytheists who accept Allah as Lord but worship idols, people of the scripture who combine faith with shirk, the talbiyah (invocation) of Arab polytheists, Christians, those who practice anthropomorphism (tashbih), hypocrites, those who pray earnestly in distress and attribute the blessing to someone else when delivered, and the faith of the Meccans in the story of smoke (dukhan), among various other interpretations. Kurtubî himself notes that the situation of becoming sincere in distress and attributing the blessing to someone else when delivered is frequently seen among the Muslim common people.

وقيل : معناها أنهم يدعون الله ينجيهم من الهلكة فإذا أنجاهم قال قائلهم : لولا فلان ما نجونا ولولا الكلب لدخل علينا اللص ونحو هذا فيجعلون نعمة الله منسوبة إلى فلان ووقايته منسوبة إلى الكلب

Ibn Kathîr, transmitting from Ibn Abbas and other early exegetes, states that the faith of the polytheists in this verse consists of saying 'Allah' when asked who created the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, while simultaneously committing shirk with Him. To support this view, he transmits many hadîths regarding the talbiyah expression in pilgrimage and various forms of shirk (ostentation, exalting something else in oaths, healing charms, amulets, belief in ill omens/birds, relying on things). Through these reports, he attempts to show that shirk is not merely open idol-worship but also encompasses hidden and minor forms of shirk (shirk al-asghar).

قال ابن عباس من إيمانهم أنهم إذا قيل لهم من خلق السموات ومن خلق الأرض ومن خلق الجبال قالوا الله وهم مشركون به

According to Beydâwî, the phrase 'most people do not believe in Allah except while associating partners with Him' refers to people falling into shirk despite accepting Allah's existence and his role as creator, through ways such as worshipping others besides Him, taking religious scholars as lords, attributing offspring to Allah, accepting dualism of light and darkness, or attributing real effect to causes. Furthermore, different views are transmitted regarding whether this verse concerns the Meccan polytheists, hypocrites, or the People of the Book. The phrase 'this is my path' is explained as an invitation to tawheed and preparation for the afterlife; the phrase 'upon clear insight' means clear evidence and proof.

وما يؤمن أكثرهم بالله في إقرارهم بوجوده وخالقيته. إلا وهم مشركون بعبادة غيره أو باتخاذ الأحبار أربابا. ونسبة التبني إليه تعالى، أو القول بالنور والظلمة أو النظر إلى الأسباب ونحو ذلك.

According to Zamakhsharî, although most people say they believe in Allah and that He created them and the heavens and earth, they fall into shirk by worshipping idols; that is, their faith is mixed with shirk. It is transmitted from al-Hasan that these are from the People of the Scripture, carrying both shirk and faith; and from Ibn Abbas that these are those who liken Allah to creation.

إلا وهو مشرك بعبادته الوثن