“You and what you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell”?” He replied, “Yes.” He said, “Do not the Jews worship Ezra, the Christians worship the Messiah, and Banu Mulayh worship the angels?” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Rather, they worship the devils.” Then Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: “Indeed, those for whom the finest reward has already preceded from Us” (1)—meaning Ezra, the Messiah, and the angels—“they will be kept far from it.”
And concerning Ibn al-Zibara, He revealed: “They cited him to you only in argument; indeed, they are a contentious people” (al-Zukhruf: 58).
A number of scholars maintained that the verse refers to the idols, because Allah, Exalted is He, says: “What you worship besides Allah.” Had He intended the angels and people, He would have said: “Whom you worship besides Allah.” (2)
(1) Ibn Hajar states in al-Kafi al-Shaf, p. 111: “Al-Tha'labi, followed by al-Baghawi, relates it without a chain of transmission. I have found it only as a composite report: its opening portion is found in al-Tabarani's al-Saghir, in a hadith from Ibn Abbas ... As for the statement, ‘The leaders of Quraysh were ...,’ this is a different account, related by Ibn Ishaq in al-Maghazi and by al-Tabarani through Ibn Abbas. Ibn Mardawayh and al-Wahidi also narrate from Ibn Abbas that, when the verse ‘Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah’ was revealed, it distressed Quraysh ...” He then mentions a similar report. See al-Tabari, 17:97; al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, pp. 353-354; Majma al-Zawa'id, 7:68-69.
(2) Ibn Hajar states in al-Kafi al-Shaf, pp. 111-112: “It has become widespread among many non-Arab scholars and in their books that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘How ignorant you are of the language of your people! I said, “what you worship,” which is used for non-rational beings; I did not say, “whom you worship.”’” This has no basis whatsoever and is not found either with a chain of transmission or without one.