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 shall by no means harm you but with a slight evil; and if they fight with you they shall turn (their) backs to you, then shall they not be helped. 111 Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah and a rope from men. They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slew the prophets wrongfully. That is because they were rebellious and used to transgress. 112 ۞ Yet all of them are not alike. Among the people of the Book is a section upright, who recite the scriptures in the hours of the night and bow in adoration and pray, 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 Whatever good they do, for them it shall not be denied. Allah knows the cautious. 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 The likeness of what they spend in the life of this world is as the likeness of wind in which is intense cold (that) smites the seed produce of a people who have done injustice to their souls and destroys it; and Allah is not unjust to them, but they are unjust to 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 Listen! It is you who love them and they do not love you, whereas the fact is that you believe in all the Books; when they meet you they say, “We believe”; and when they are alone they chew their fingers at you with rage; say, “Die in your frenzy!” Allah knows well what lies within the hearts. 119 If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do. 120