وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ابْنُ اللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُمْ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ يُضَاهِئُونَ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ ﴿۳۰﴾ اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ﴿۳۱﴾

﴾30﴿ Wa qaalatil yahoodu 'Uzairunib nul laahi wa qaalatin Nasaaral Maseehub nul laahi zaalika qawluhum bi afwaahihim yudaahi'oona qawlal lazeena kafaroo min qabl; qatalahumul laah; annaa yu'fakoon
﴾31﴿ ittakhazooo ahbaarahum wa ruhbaanahum arbaabammin doonil laahi wal Maseehab na Maryama wa maaa umirooo illaa liya'budooo Ilaahanw Waa hidan laaa ilaaha illaa Hoo; Subhaanahoo 'ammaa yushrikoon

﴾30﴿ And the Jews say, "Uzair (Ezra), peace be upon him, is the son of Allah," and the Christians say, "The Messiah (Jesus), peace be upon him, is the son of Allah." This is their statement from their mouths (meaning, without any proof); they imitate the words of those who disbelieved before them. May Allah curse them—how they are deluded away from the truth!
﴾31﴿ They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, son of Mary—while they were not commanded except to worship one God alone. There is none worthy of worship except Him. Exalted is He above what they associate with Him.

[30] In this verse, four other reasons for fighting them are mentioned. The polytheism of the Jews was that they said Ezra (peace be upon him) is the son of Allah, and the polytheism of the Christians was that they said Jesus (peace be upon him) is the son of Allah.
The belief of the common people in this was that they are truly the sons of Allah, the Exalted.
And the belief of the elite was that they are like favored sons in the sight of Allah, the Exalted—whose word is accepted by the Father and who are granted authority.
Both of these beliefs are disbelief (kufr).
Among the ignorant ones of this Ummah, the second belief is widely found.
(“Their words with their mouths”) refers to their baseless statements.
(“Like the words of those who disbelieved before”) refers to those disbelieving pagans who used to say the angels are the daughters of Allah, the Exalted, or it refers to their leaders whom they imitated in disbelief.
(“May Allah destroy them”)—this is an evil supplication (a curse), and what is meant by it is a curse.
[31] In this verse, other reasons for fighting are mentioned.
(“Their rabbis”) refers to those scholars who present the words and meanings in a refined manner, and (“their monks”) refers to those who fear Allah, the Exalted, and devote their time and actions solely for Allah, the Exalted.
However, in this verse, since they were attributed to them (i.e., “their rabbis” and “their monks”), it indicates that they were corrupt scholars and corrupt spiritual leaders who made polytheism, disbelief, and innovations seem good to the people and said, “This is religion.”
(“As lords”)—it does not mean that they considered the scholars and spiritual leaders as actual gods, nor did they worship them.
Rather, what is meant is that if those leaders made something forbidden lawful for them, they would consider it lawful, and if they made something lawful forbidden, they would consider it forbidden—just as it is mentioned in the hadith of ʿAdiyy ibn Ḥātim (may Allah be pleased with him), which is narrated by Tirmidhi.
From this, it becomes clear that blindly following scholars and spiritual leaders in opposition to divine law is a form of shirk (associating partners with Allah).
(“And the Messiah, son of Mary”)—he is mentioned separately because he was made a partner with Allah, the Exalted, purely in worship, not merely in obedience. In fact, they had abandoned following him altogether.
This is shirk in divinity (ulūhiyyah), and both types of shirk are also present among the ignorant of this Ummah.