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.
quran:4:51

Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, who believe in superstition and false objects of worship and say about the disbelievers, "These are better guided than the believers as to the way"?  

The following was revealed regarding Ka‘b b. al-Ashraf and other such scholars from among the Jews, when they came to Mecca and saw those killed at Badr, and began to incite the idolaters to avenge them ˹their dead˺ by waging war against the Prophet (s): Have you not seen those who were given a share of the Book, how they believe in al-Jibt and al-Tāghūt, two idols belonging to Quraysh, and say to the disbelievers, to Abū Sufyān and his companions, when they ˹the latter˺ said to them: ‘Are we, who are the guardians of the House, who give drink to the pilgrim, offer hospitality to the guest, set free the captive, and do such and such … not more rightly guided than Muhammad, he who has contravened the religion of his forefathers, severed the ties of kinship, and abandoned the Sanctuary?’, ‘These, in other words, you, are more rightly guided, upon a more upright way, than the believers’?
القرآن:٤:٥١

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَٰؤُلَاءِ أَهْدَىٰ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَبِيلًا  

ونزل في كعب بن الأشرف ونحوه من علماء اليهود لما قدموا مكة وشاهدوا قتلى بدر وحرضوا المشركين على الأخذ بثأرهم ومحاربة النبي ﷺ {ألم تر إلى الذين أوتوا نصيبا من الكتاب يؤمنون بالجبت والطاغوت} صنمان لقريش {ويقولون للذين كفروا} أبي سفيان وأصاحبه حين قالوا لهم: نحن أهدى سبيلا ونحن ولاة البيت نسقي الحاج ونقري الضيف ونفك العاني ونفعل... أم محمد وقد خالف دين آبائه وقطع الرحم وفارق الحرم {هؤلاء} أي أنتم {أهدى من الذين آمنوا سبيلا} أقوم طريقا.

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ibn Ḥibbān

ذِكْرُ تَسْمِيَةِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ صَفِّيَ اللَّهِ ﷺ الصُّنَيْبِيرَ وَالْمُنْبَتِرَ

ibnhibban:6572al-Ḥasan b. Sufyān > Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Ibn Abū ʿAdī > Dāwud b. Abū Hind > ʿIkrimah > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] "You are better than him, so it was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ : '{Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.}' and it was also revealed: '{Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, believing in superstition and false deities and say about the disbelievers, 'These are better guided than the believers as to the way.'}"  

ابن حبّان:٦٥٧٢أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي هِنْدَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ كَعْبُ بْنُ الْأَشْرَفِ مَكَّةَ أَتَوْهُ فَقَالُوا نَحْنُ أَهْلُ السِّقَايَةِ وَالسِّدَانَةِ وَأَنْتَ سَيِّدُ أَهْلِ يَثْرِبَ فَنَحْنُ خَيْرٌ أَمْ هَذَا الصُّنَيْبِيرُ الْمُنْبَتِرُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِنَّا فَقَالَ

أَنْتُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ فَنَزَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ «{إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ} وَنَزَلَتْ {أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْدَى مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَبِيلًا} »