This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.
First, observe the Quranic verses about these beings—were they idols or righteous servants?:
[قُلِ ادۡعُوا الَّذِیۡنَ زَعَمۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ فَلَا یَمۡلِکُوۡنَ کَشۡفَ الضُّرِّ عَنۡکُمۡ وَ لَا تَحۡوِیۡلًا]،[ اُولٰٓئِکَ الَّذِیۡنَ یَدۡعُوۡنَ یَبۡتَغُوۡنَ اِلٰی رَبِّہِمُ الۡوَسِیۡلَۃَ اَیُّہُمۡ اَقۡرَبُ وَ یَرۡجُوۡنَ رَحۡمَتَہٗ وَ یَخَافُوۡنَ عَذَابَہٗ ؕ اِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّکَ کَانَ مَحۡذُوۡرًا]
[Say to those whom you invoke besides Him, "Then do not possess the power to remove any harm from you, nor to change it." Those whom they invoke seek a means to their Lord, who is nearer to them and hopes for His mercy and fears His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is something to be feared.]
Reference: Bani Isra'il: 57, 56
Say, "Call upon those whom you claim besides Allah; they do not possess the power to remove any harm from you or to change it." Those accepted servants whom these disbelievers worship themselves seek a means to their Lord to see who is more near. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, your Lord's punishment is something to be feared.
Reference: (Translation by Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi)
Na'imuddin Muradabadi writes in its explanation: That when the disbelievers were afflicted with severe famine and the situation reached such a point that they ate dogs and carrion, they came to Sayyid-e-Aalam ﷺ and pleaded, asking for his supplication. Upon this, this verse was revealed and it was said: When you call upon those close to God, then call them and they will help you, and when you know that they cannot help you, then why do you make them your gods?
Reference: Footnote number:117
Then he further writes about the accepted servants: Like Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام, Sayyiduna Uzair عليه السلام, and the angels
Reference: Footnote:118
also mentioned in
Reference: Al-Kahf 102
.From Maulvi Ahmad Raza Khan's translation and Na'imuddin Muradabadi's explanation, it is understood that the beings whom the polytheists called upon were Allah's accepted and close servants, Sayyiduna Isa عليه السلام, Sayyiduna Uzair عليه السلام, and the angels.
Imam Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ] [بنی اسرائیل:56] قال: كان أهل الشرك يقولون نعبد الملائكة والمسيح وعزيرا
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما said about this noble verse: The polytheists used to say that we worship angels, Jesus عليه السلام, and Uzair عليه السلام.
Similarly, this interpretation is also narrated from Mujahid (رحمه الله).
Reference: Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Al-Ilmiya Edition: Vol 5, p. 81
Allama Sayyid Mahmood Alusi Hanafi رحمة الله نقل فرماتے ہیں کہ عبدالرزاق، ابن ابی شیبہ، بخاری، نسائی اور طبرانی وغیرہ سے سیدنا عبد اللہ بن مسعود رضي الله عنه کا فرمان نقل کیا ہے:
[كان نفر من الإنس يعبدون نفرا من الجن فأسلم النفر من الجن وتمسك الإنسيون بعبادتهم فنزلت هذه الآية]
A group of humans used to worship a group of jinn, and when the group of jinn accepted Islam and the humans continued their worship of them, then this noble verse was revealed.
Reference: Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Al-Ilmiya Edition: Vol 5, p. 81
And it is narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما:
[إنها نزلت في الذين أشركوا بالله تعالى فعبدوا عيسى و أمه وعزيرا والشمس والقمر والكواكب]
This noble verse was revealed concerning those people who associated partners with Allah, so they worshipped Jesus عليه السلام, his mother, Uzair عليه السلام, the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Reference: Ruh al-Ma'ani: Vol 15, pp. 97-98
From the above tafsir, it is understood that the Arab polytheists did not worship only idols. Rather, they also worshipped Prophet Jesus, Lady Mary, Prophet Uzair (peace be upon them), jinn, angels, the sun, the moon, and the stars. So, by revealing this noble verse, Allah Almighty refuted their belief and made it clear that these beings do not possess the power to remove pain and suffering, nor can they be providers or helpers. When great prophets like Jesus and Uzair (peace be upon them) do not have the power to remove difficulties and calamities, then how can people like Ali Hujwiri and others be Ganj Bakhsh or Daatas? And how can Moinuddin Chishti and others help people cross over difficulties? How can Baba Shah Jamal grant beautiful and red children?
At another place, it is stated:
[وَ یَوۡمَ یَحۡشُرُہُمۡ وَ مَا یَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ فَیَقُوۡلُ ءَاَنۡتُمۡ اَضۡلَلۡتُمۡ عِبَادِیۡ ہٰۤؤُلَآءِ اَمۡ ہُمۡ ضَلُّوا السَّبِیۡلَ]،[ قَالُوۡا سُبۡحٰنَکَ مَا کَانَ یَنۡۢبَغِیۡ لَنَاۤ اَنۡ نَّتَّخِذَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِکَ مِنۡ اَوۡلِیَآءَ وَ لٰکِنۡ مَّتَّعۡتَہُمۡ وَ اٰبَآءَہُمۡ حَتّٰی نَسُوا الذِّکۡرَ ۚ وَ کَانُوۡا قَوۡمًۢا بُوۡرًا]
[And the Day when they will be gathered together, (those who were polytheists) and those whom they worshipped besides Allah, then it will be said to those idols, "Did you mislead these My servants or did they stray from the way themselves?" They will say, "Glory be to You! It was not for us to take any partners before You, but You had made them and their forefathers indulge until they forgot the remembrance (of Allah), and indeed these (people) and their forefathers were ever going to perish."]
Reference: (Translation by Ahmad Raza)
These deities were Jesus, Uzair (peace be upon them), and the angels.
Reference: Madarik:4/430, Khazin:4/430, Baydawi:2/137, Ruh al-Ma’ani:18/325, Ibn Kathir:3/343
As it is said:[وَ اِذۡ قَالَ اللّٰہُ یٰعِیۡسَی ابۡنَ مَرۡیَمَ ءَاَنۡتَ قُلۡتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُوۡنِیۡ وَ اُمِّیَ اِلٰہَیۡنِ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ ؕ قَالَ سُبۡحٰنَکَ مَا یَکُوۡنُ لِیۡۤ اَنۡ اَقُوۡلَ مَا لَیۡسَ لِیۡ بِحَقٍّ ؕاِنۡ کُنۡتُ قُلۡتُہٗ فَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتَہٗ ؕ تَعۡلَمُ مَا فِیۡ نَفۡسِیۡ وَ لَاۤ اَعۡلَمُ مَا فِیۡ نَفۡسِکَ ؕ اِنَّکَ اَنۡتَ عَلَّامُ الۡغُیُوۡبِ]،[ مَا قُلۡتُ لَہُمۡ اِلَّا مَاۤ اَمَرۡتَنِیۡ بِہٖۤ اَنِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰہَ رَبِّیۡ وَ رَبَّکُمۡ ۚ وَ کُنۡتُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ شَہِیۡدًا مَّا دُمۡتُ فِیۡہِمۡ ۚ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّیۡتَنِیۡ کُنۡتَ اَنۡتَ الرَّقِیۡبَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ ؕ وَ اَنۡتَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ شَہِیۡدٌ]
[And when Allah will say, "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah'?" He will say, "Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to say. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is in my soul, and I do not know what is in Yours. Indeed, You are the Knower of the unseen."] [I said to them nothing except what You commanded me to say: 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.' And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them. But when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness over all things.]
Reference: Al-Ma’idah:117,116
At another place, it is stated:
[وَ یَوۡمَ یَحۡشُرُہُمۡ جَمِیۡعًا ثُمَّ یَقُوۡلُ لِلۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃِ اَہٰۤؤُلَآءِ اِیَّاکُمۡ کَانُوۡا یَعۡبُدُوۡنَ]،[ قَالُوۡا سُبۡحٰنَکَ اَنۡتَ وَلِیُّنَا مِنۡ دُوۡنِہِمۡ ۚ بَلۡ کَانُوۡا یَعۡبُدُوۡنَ الۡجِنَّ ۚ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ بِہِمۡ مُّؤۡمِنُوۡنَ]
[And the Day He will gather them all together, then He will say to the angels, "Did these people worship you?" They will say, "Glory be to You! You are our friend, not them. Rather, they used to worship the jinn, and most of them believed in them."]
Reference: Saba:41,40
The command of Allah Almighty is:
[وَ جَعَلُوا الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ عِبٰدُ الرَّحۡمٰنِ اِنَاثًا ؕ اَشَہِدُوۡا خَلۡقَہُمۡ ؕ سَتُکۡتَبُ شَہَادَتُہُمۡ وَ یُسۡـَٔلُوۡنَ]،[ وَ قَالُوۡا لَوۡ شَآءَ الرَّحۡمٰنُ مَا عَبَدۡنٰہُمۡ ؕ مَا لَہُمۡ بِذٰلِکَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍ اِنۡ ہُمۡ اِلَّا یَخۡرُصُوۡنَ]
[And they made the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful, females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned.] [And they said, "If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshipped them." They have no knowledge of that; they are only guessing.]
Reference: Az-Zukhruf:20,19
From these verses, it is understood that among the deities worshipped by the polytheists were angels and jinn as well. Regarding the idols of the polytheists, it is stated:
[اَفَرَءَیۡتُمُ اللّٰتَ وَ الۡعُزّٰی]،[ وَ مَنٰوۃَ الثَّالِثَۃَ الۡاُخۡرٰی] [Have you then considered Al-Lat and Al-'Uzza], [and another, Manat, the third?]
Reference: An-Najm: 19, 20
In Sahih Bukhari:
[عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ، في قوله : اللات والعزى سورة النجم آية 19 كان اللات رجلا يلت سويق الحاج]
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما that Al-Lat was a man who used to prepare a drink for the pilgrims.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, Chapter: Have you seen Al-Lat and Al-'Uzza: 4859
From this, it is understood that Al-Lat was a good man. Similarly, Al-'Uzza was a woman whose idol the polytheists worshipped. This idol of Al-'Uzza was broken by Khalid bin Walid رضي الله عنه.
Reference: Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 4/267, in the new edition: 4/324], [Al-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Nasa'i, Book of Tafsir: (11547) 6/474], [Al-Bidaya wa An-Nihaya: 4/274, 275 and in the new edition: 4/712]
When Sayyiduna Nuh عليه السلام called his people to the oneness of Allah, the people said:
[وَ قَالُوۡا لَا تَذَرُنَّ اٰلِہَتَکُمۡ وَ لَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَّ لَا سُوَاعًا وَّ لَا یَغُوۡثَ وَ یَعُوۡقَ وَ نَسۡرًا]
And they said, "Never abandon your gods, nor abandon Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth, nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr."
Reference: Surah Nuh: 23
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما says:
[أسماء رجال صالحين من قوم نوح] These are the names of the righteous men of the people of Nuh.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, Surah Nuh, Chapter: Wadd and Suwa' and Yaghuth and Ya'uq: 4920
From the above-mentioned verses, sacred texts, and authentic hadiths, it is understood that the Arab polytheists used to call upon and worship beings among whom were Allah's prophets, angels, and righteous and pious individuals.
