“Have you not considered those who were given a portion of the Book? They are called to the Book of Allah so that it may judge between them; then a party of them turns away in aversion.” (23)

“Those are the ones whose deeds have come to nothing”—that is, have been rendered void—“in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.” A deed’s coming to nothing in this world means that it is not accepted, and in the Hereafter, that no recompense will be given for it.

His saying, Exalted is He, “Have you not considered those who were given a portion of the Book,” refers to the Jews. Regarding His words, “They are called to the Book of Allah,” scholars differed as to which Book is meant. Qatadah said: “They were Jews called to the judgment of the Quran, but they turned away from it.”

Al-Dahhak narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, concerning this verse: Allah, Exalted is He, made the Quran the arbiter in the matter between them and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Thus, the Quran judged the Jews and Christians to be other than rightly guided, so they turned away from it. Others said that it refers to the Torah.

Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and ‘Ikrimah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, entered the house of study where a group of Jews had gathered and called them to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Nu‘aym ibn ‘Amr and al-Harith ibn Zayd said to him, “What religion do you follow, O Muhammad?” He replied, “The faith of Abraham.” They said, “Abraham was a Jew.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: