Ayat 101
اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِّنَّا الْحُسْنٰىٓۙ اُولٰۤىِٕكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُوْنَ ۙ ١٠١
English Sahih Internasional
101. Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us - they are from it far removed.
Asbab Al-Nuzul
(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)”.