(4) باب فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى { أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ الْوَسِيلَةَ}
Abdullah b. Mas'ud said in connection with the verse:
" Those whom they call upon, themselves seek the means of access to their Lord," that that verse was revealed in connection with a party of Arabs who used to worship a group amnogst the jinn; the jinn embraced Islam but the people kept worshipping them without being conscious of it. Then this verse was revealed:" Those whom they call upon, themselves seek the means of access to their Lord."
Reference: Sahih Muslim 3030 d
In-book reference: Book 56, Hadith 34
USC-MSA web (English) reference(deprecated numbering scheme): Book 43, Hadith 7184