—is either particular in scope or has been abrogated by the verse in Sūrah al-Māʾidah, where the Almighty says:
“Today, the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them; and chaste women from among the believers, as well as chaste women from those who were given the Scripture before you, are lawful for you—provided you give them their bridal due, seeking wedlock, not fornication, and taking them not as secret lovers.” ⦗al-Māʾidah: 5⦘.

Another group maintains that when the term “polytheists” is left unqualified, the People of the Book are not included within it.

As for the fact that Christians commit shirk (associating partners with Allah), as Allah Himself has stated, this is unanimously acknowledged by the Muslims, for the Quran explicitly affirms it. Likewise, the Muslims are agreed that His words,
“You will surely find that the people most hostile toward the believers are the Jews and those who associate partners with Allah, and you will surely find that those nearest in affection toward the believers are those who say, ‘We are Christians.’” ⦗al-Māʾidah: 82⦘,
show that Christians are not subsumed under the phrase “those who associate partners,” any more than they are subsumed under the word “Jews.”

The same applies to His saying,
“Those who disbelieved from among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not about to desist…” ⦗al-Bayyinah: 1⦘,
and to other verses of similar import. The reason is that the signification of a single term varies according to whether it stands alone or appears in conjunction with something else.