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 They will not harm you save a trifling hurt, and if they fight against you they will turn and flee. And afterward they will not be helped. 111 Disgrace has been destined for them – wherever they are they shall not find peace, except by a rope from Allah and a rope from men – and they have deserved the wrath of Allah, and misery is destined for them; that is because they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allah, and unjustly martyr the Prophets; that was for their disobedience and transgression. 112 ۞ Not are they all alike. Of the people of the Book there are a community steadfast, reciting the revelations of Allah in the hours of night while they prostrate themselves. 113 And they believe in Allah and the Last Day and command that which is reputable and prohibit that which is disreputable, and vie with each other to virtues. And these are of the righteous. 114 And whatever good they do - never will it be removed from them. And Allah is Knowing of the righteous. 115 Indeed, those who disbelieve - never will their wealth or their children avail them against Allah at all, and those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally. 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 you who believe! do not take for intimate friends from among others than your own people; they do not fall short of inflicting loss upon you; they love what distresses you; vehement hatred has already appeared from out of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still; indeed, We have made the communications clear to you, if you will understand. 118 Lo! it is you who love them whereas they love you not, and you believe in the Book, all of it. When they meet you, they say: we believe. And when they are alone, they bite their fingertips at you in rage. Say thou: die in your rage. Verily Allah is Knower of that which is in the breasts. 119 If anything good happens to you they are grieved; if any misfortune befalls you they rejoice at it. But if you remain steadfast and mindful of Allah their designs will not cause you harm. Allah surely encompasses all that they do. 120