What is the cause behind the revelation of verse in regards to Uzair (9:30)?

Question

Allah Said:

Quran 9:30

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ابْنُ اللَّهِ

and the Jews said, "Uzair/Ezra is the son of Allah "

I am wondering, what was the cause of this verse to come down?

Answer 1

It is narrated in Attabari 16620 that a group of Jews came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and they said:

Why would we follow you and you have left our Qibla and do not believe that Uzair/Ezra is the son of God.

كيف نتبعك وقد تركت قبلتنا ، وأنت لا تزعم أن عزيرا ابن الله؟

So that Ayah came down in regards to what they said: "Uzair the son of God".

Sources: Mawsu'ati Saheehul Masboor Mina Attafseeril Ma'thoor (موسوعة الصحيح المسبور من التفسير بالمأثور المجلد الثاني صفحة 442-443)

Answer 2

Tafsirs state that this was revealed in response to a specific group of the Jews who said this to the Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h) and was not a common belief, nor does it remain a canonical belief in Judaism.

From Tafsir Al Qurtubi:

قوله تعالىٰ: { وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ } هذا لفظ خرج على العموم ومعناه الخصوص؛ لأن ليس كل اليهود قالوا ذلك. وهذا مثلُ قوله تعالىٰ: { ٱلَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ } [آل عمران: 173] ولم يقل ذلك كل الناس. وقيل: إن قائل ما حكي عن اليهود سلاّم بن مِشْكم ونعمان ابن أبي أوْفِى وشاس بن قيس ومالك بن الصّيف؛ قالوه للنبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم. قال النقاش: لم يبق يهودي يقولها، بل انقرضوا؛

Allah says: "And the Jews say". The word is general but its meaning is specific, because not all the Jews said this. And this is similar to the saying of Allah in 3:173 الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ [ where An-Nas (the people) is used to refer to a group of hypocrites] when not all of the people said that.

It has been said that the Jews who said this includeed Salaam ibn Mashkam, Nu‘maan ibn Awfa, Shaas ibn Qays, and Maalik ibn as-Sayf. They said this to the Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h).

Al-Naqash said: No Jew remains who says this, but all of them have been destroyed.

From Tafsir Al Jassas

إنه أراد فرقة من اليهود قالت ذلك ؛ والدليل على ذلك أن اليهود قد سمعت ذلك في عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فلم تنكره ، وهو كقول القائل : الخوارج ترى الاستعراض وقتل الأطفال ، والمراد فرقة منهم لا جميعهم ؛ وكقولك : جاءني بنو تميم ، والمراد بعضهم . قال ابن عباس : { قال ذلك جماعة من اليهود جاءوا إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالوا ذلك ، وهم سلام بن مشكم ، ونعمان بن أوفى ، وشاس بن قيس ، ومالك بن الصيف ، فأنزل الله تعالى هذه الآية } ، وليس في اليهود من يقول ذلك الآن فيما نعلم ، وإنما كانت فرقة منهم قالت ذلك فانقرضت

This means a group among the Jews. The evidence of truth of this verse is that when the Jews in the time of the Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h) heard this they didn't object to it.

The example of this is that if a person says "The Khawarij commit massacres and consider it valid to kill children" then this will mean that a group of the Khawarij and not all of them. Similarly when one says "Banu Tamim came to me" then this does not mean the whole tribe but some people from them.

Ibn Abbas has narrated that this was said by one group from the Jews. They came to the Prophet and said this to him. The group included Salaam ibn Mashkam, Nu‘maan ibn Awfa, Shaas ibn Qays, and Maalik ibn as-Sayf. On this, Allah revealed the verse.

As far as we know, now no Jew holds this view, a sect among them said this and it has now been erased.