Chapter: Allah's Saving: "Those Whom They Call Upon Desire Means Of Access To Their Lord (Allah)"

'Abdullah bin Mas'ud reported in connection with the words of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious:" Those to whom they call upon, themselves seek the means or access to their Lord as to whoever of them becomes nearest" (xvii. 57) that it related to a party of Jinn who were being worshipped and they embraced Islam but those who worshipped them kept on worshipping them (though the Jinn whom the misguided people worshipped had become Muslims). It was then that this verse was revealed.

'Abdullah bin 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.