Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ} [الإسراء: 57]

nasai-kubra:11225ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > Yaḥyá > Sufyān > Sulaymān > Ibrāhīm > Abū Maʿmar

[Machine] From Abdullah, regarding his saying, "Those are the ones who invoke, seeking means to their Lord." [17:57]. He said, "There were people among mankind who worshipped the jinn. Then the jinn embraced Islam and these people adhered to their religion."  

الكبرى للنسائي:١١٢٢٥أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ فِي قَوْلِهِ {أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ} [الإسراء 57] قَالَ «كَانَ نَاسٌ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ يَعْبُدُونَ نَاسًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَأَسْلَمَ الْجِنُّ وَتَمَسَّكَ هَؤُلَاءِ بِدِينِهِمْ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim
bukhari:4714ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > Yaḥyá > Sufyān > Sulaymān > Ibrāhīm > Abū Maʿmar > ʿAbdullāh > Rabbihim al-Wasīlah

Regarding the explanation of the Verse: 'Those whom they call upon (worship) (like Jesus the Son of Mary, angels etc.) desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah) as to which of them should be the nearer and they hope for His Mercy and fear His torment.' (17.57) They themselves (e.g. Angels, saints, Apostles, Jesus, etc.,) worshipped Allah, Those Jinns who were worshipped by some Arabs became Muslims (embraced Islam), but those human beings stuck to their (old) religion. Al- Aʿmash said extra: 'Say, (O Muhammad): Call unto those besides Him whom you assume (to be gods).' (17.56)  

البخاري:٤٧١٤حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ حَدَّثَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ {إِلَى رَبِّهِمِ الْوَسِيلَةَ} قَالَ

كَانَ نَاسٌ مِنَ الإِنْسِ يَعْبُدُونَ نَاسًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَأَسْلَمَ الْجِنُّ وَتَمَسَّكَ هَؤُلاَءِ بِدِينِهِمْ زَادَ الأَشْجَعِيُّ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ {قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ}  

muslim:3030aAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > ʿAbdullāh b. Idrīs > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > Abū Maʿmar

" 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.  

مسلم:٣٠٣٠aحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي قَوْلِهِ ﷻ { أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ} قَالَ كَانَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَسْلَمُوا وَكَانُوا يُعْبَدُونَ فَبَقِيَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ عَلَى عِبَادَتِهِمْ وَقَدْ أَسْلَمَ النَّفَرُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ