Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported in connection with the verse:" Those whom they call upon, themselves seek the means of access to their Lord," that it related to a group of people who worshipped a party amongst the Jinn. The group from amongst the Jinn embraced Islam, but the people kept worshipping them as they did before, and it was (on this occasion) that the verse was revealed:" Those whom they call upon, themselves seek the means of access to their Lord." This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sulaiman with the same chain of transmitters.
حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، { أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ} قَالَ كَانَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الإِنْسِ يَعْبُدُونَ نَفَرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَأَسْلَمَ النَّفَرُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ . وَاسْتَمْسَكَ الإِنْسُ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ فَنَزَلَتْ { أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ} وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ بِشْرُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ جَعْفَرٍ - عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ .
Muslim
The Book of Commentary on the Qur'an • Hadith 33