the people of Mecca great distress. Ibn al-Zib'ara said: "O Muhammad, what about the verse you just recited? Does it concern us and our gods specifically, or does it concern the nations and their gods?" He replied: "No, rather it is concerning you and your gods, and the nations and their gods." He said: "I have bested you, by the Ka'bah! You know that the Christians worship Jesus and his mother, and a group of people worship the angels; are these not with our gods in the Fire?" The Messenger of Allah fell silent, and the Quraysh laughed and persisted in their dispute. Then Allah revealed the answer to their statement: "Indeed, those for whom the best has preceded from Us, they from it shall be distanced" – meaning: Ezra, Jesus, and the angels.
أَهْلُ مَكَّةَ وَجْدًا شَدِيدًا، فَقَالَ ابْنُ الزِّبْعَرَى: يَا مُحَمَّدُ؛ أَرَأَيْتَ الْآيَةَ الَّتِي قَرَأْتَ آنِفًا أَفِينَا وَهِي آلِهَتِنَا خَاصَّةً، أَمْ فِي الْأُمَمِ وَآلِهَتِهِمْ؟ قَالَ: لَا؛ بَلْ فِيكُمْ وَفِي آلِهَتِكُمْ وَفِي الْأُمَمِ وَآلِهَتِهِمْ. فَقَالَ: خَصَمْتُكَ وَالْكَعْبَةِ؛ قَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ النَّصَارَى يَعْبُدُونَ عِيسَى وَأُمِّهِ، وَإِنَّ طَائِفَةً مِنَ النَّاسِ يَعْبُدُونَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ، أَفَلَيْسَ هَؤُلَاءِ مَعَ أَلِهَتِنَا فِي النَّارِ؟! فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَضَحِكَتْ قُرَيْشٌ وَلَجُّوا؛ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ جَوَابَ قَوْلِهِمْ: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِنَّا الْحُسْنَى أُولَئِكَ عَنْهَا مبعدون﴾ يَعْنِي: عُزَيْرًا وَعِيسَى وَالْمَلَائِكَة
