(Lo! those unto whom kindness hath gone forth before from Us…) [21:101].
Abu 'Umar ibn Ahmad ibn 'Umar al-Mawardi informed us> 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Razi> Muhammad ibn Ayyub> 'Ali ibn al-Madini> Yahya ibn Nuh> Abu Bakr ibn 'Ayyash> 'Asim> Abu Ruzayn> Abu Yahya> Ibn 'Abbas who said: “There is one verse about which people never ask me; I do not know whether they know it and, therefore, do not have to ask about it; or do not know it at all and, hence, do not ask about it”. He was asked: “And what is this verse?” He said: “When the verse (Lo! Ye (idolaters) and that which ye worship beside Allah are fuel of hell. Thereunto ye will come) [21:98], the Quraysh were distressed and said: 'He is insulting our idols'. Ibn al-Ziba'ra came along and asked them: 'What is wrong?' They said: 'He is insulting our idols!' 'What does he say', he pressed them. They said: 'He said (Lo! Ye (idolaters) and that which ye worship beside Allah are fuel of hell. Thereunto ye will come)'. He said: 'Summon him for me!' When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was called, he said to him: 'O Muhammad, does this apply specifically to our idols or to all that is worshipped beside Allah?' He said: 'No, it applies to all that is worshipped besides Allah'. Ibn al-Ziba'ra said: 'You have been dumbfounded by the Lord of this building', meaning the Ka'bah. 'Do you not claim that the angels are righteous servants and that Jesus is a righteous servant and that 'Uzayr is a righteous servant? Well, the Banu Mulayh worship the angels, the Christians worship Jesus and the Jews worship 'Uzayr'. Upon hearing this, the people of Mecca cried out [of jubilation], and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Lo! those unto whom kindness hath gone forth before from Us) the angels, Jesus and 'Uzayr (they will be far removed from thence)”.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou