YOU ARE indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for [the good of] mankind: you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and you believe in God. Now if the followers of earlier revelation had attained to [this kind of] faith, it would have been for their own good; [but only few] among them are believers, while most of them are iniquitous: 110 [but] these can never inflict more than a passing hurt on you; and if they fight against you, they will turn their backs upon you [in flight,] and will not be succoured. 111 Stuck upon them is abjection wheresoever they may be come upon, except in a compact with Allah and a compact with men; and they drew upon themselves indignation from Allah; and stuck upon them is poverty. That is because they have been disbelieving in the signs of Allah, and slaying the prophets without justice. That is because they disobeyed and have been trespassing. 112 ۞ [But] they are not all alike: among the followers of earlier revelation there are upright people, who recite God's messages throughout the night, and prostrate themselves [before Him]. 113 And believe in God and the Last Day, and enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong, and who hasten to give in charity: they are among the upright and the doers of good. 114 And whatsoever good you do, you shall not be denied the just reward of it; and God knows the godfearing. 115 Verily those who disbelieve, neither their riches nor their progeny shall avail them aught against Allah. And these are the fellows of the Fire; thereinto they shall be abiders. 116 What they spend in this life is like the freezing wind that may strike and destroy the farms of the people who have wronged themselves. God has not done injustice to them, but they have wronged themselves. 117 O ye who believe! Take not for intimates others than your own folk, who would spare no pains to ruin you; they love to hamper you. Hatred is revealed by (the utterance of) their mouths, but that which their breasts hide is greater. We have made plain for you the revelations if ye will understand. 118 Lo! It is you who [are prepared to] love them, but they will not love you, although you believe in all of the revelation. And when they meet you, they assert, "We believe [as you believe]"; but when they find themselves alone, they gnaw their fingers in rage against you. Say: "Perish in your rage! Behold, God has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men]!" 119 If you are visited by good fortune, it vexes them; but if you are smitten by evil, they rejoice at it. Yet if you are patient and godfearing, their guile will hurt you nothing; God encompasses the things they do. 120