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 can never harm you beyond annoyance. In a fight, they will turn back in defeat and they will not be helped. 111 Abasement is made to cleave to them wherever they are found, except under a covenant with Allah and a covenant with men, and they have become deserving of wrath from Allah, and humiliation is made to cleave to them; this is because they disbelieved in the communications of Allah and slew the prophets unjustly; this is because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits. 112 ۞ They are not all alike. Of the People of the Scripture there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of Allah in the night season, falling prostrate (before Him). 113 They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency, and vie one with another in good works. These are of the righteous. 114 And whatever good they do, they shall not be denied it, and Allah knows those who guard (against evil). 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 example of what they spend in this worldly life is similar to the freezing cold wind which struck the fields of a nation who wronged themselves, and destroyed it completely; and Allah did not oppress them, but it is they who wronged themselves. 117 O ye who believe! Take not into your intimacy those outside your ranks: They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin: Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths: What their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the Signs, if ye have wisdom. 118 There you are loving them, and they do not love you. You believe in the entire Book. When they meet you they say: 'We, believe' But when alone, they bite their fingertips at you out of rage. Say: 'Die in your rage! Allah has knowledge of what is in your chests' 119 If good befalls you, it grieves them, and if an evil afflicts you, they rejoice at it; and if you are patient and guard yourselves, their scheme will not injure you in any way; surely Allah comprehends what they do. 120