The Best People of the Book in the Quran and their Faith

3-110. You are a good community brought forth for mankind; you enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah. If the People of the Book in the Quran had believed, it would have been good for them. Some of them believe, but most of them are transgressors.

Yes… As mentioned earlier, Allah (glorified be His Majesty) has now brought forth a new community. And this community is a community of good people brought forth from among mankind. The failure of the previous faiths to adhere to monotheism, despite all the prophets sent to them, necessitated this change. If only the People of the Book had believed… It would certainly have been best for them. What a compassionate approach. But they abandoned monotheism and turned to sin, committing sins openly. How could they be in goodness when this is the case… But there are those among them who believe. They are not all the same.

3-113/115 They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is a community standing firm (in prayer) who recite Allah’s verses during the night, prostrating themselves. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and compete in good deeds. These are among the righteous. Whatever good they do, they will not be deprived of it. Allah knows the righteous.

Yes, they are not all the same. As we understand from the previous verse, even if they are not the majority, there are those who prostrate and recite verses, even if they are a minority. They also believe and act with good intentions. These are the righteous ones. And our Lord will not deprive them of good for what they have done. Allah knows who among the People of the Book in the Quran they are and whether they still exist or not. He is the All-Knowing.

3-199. Indeed, among the People of the Book in the Quran are those who believe in Allah, in what has been revealed to you, and in what has been revealed to them—those who hold Allah in deep reverence. They do not trade Allah’s verses for a small price. Their reward is with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in reckoning.

Up to this point, we can say that it is clearly stated that there are people among the People of the Book in the Quran who believe in Allah and the Last Day and who also perform righteous deeds. It does not subject all of them to a division based on hatred, labeling them as good or bad, enemy or friend. After all, even five brothers cannot be completely alike, so it cannot be expected that an entire group or community will be the same. This means that Allah (swt) does not view them all as one. This verse mentions that there are different groups among the People of the Book in the Quran. They believe in the Qur’an and their own holy book. Their sign is that they do not seek benefit in return for what the verses reveal. How beautifully our Lord takes a stance against the mentality of generalizing. They are not all the same; some of them are like this and like that. There are also those who do not prefer their own interests over what the verses reveal, that is, over the benefits of the book they believe in. You also have such a Lord. That sincerity shown has its reward in the sight of Allah. He is the One who sees the account very quickly. These matters are never difficult or complicated for Him. You can read the first article about People of the Book According to the Holy Quran-1, please click here. You can also study more about the Holly Quran by clicking here.