Then He said:

“Those to whom We have given the Scripture recite it as it ought to be recited. It is they who truly believe in it. As for those who disbelieve in it, it is they who are the losers. O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you, and that I favored you above all peoples. And fear a Day when no soul will avail another in any way, no ransom will be accepted from it, no intercession will benefit it, and none will be helped.”

Allah Most High informs us that those to whom He gave the Scripture—and upon whom He thereby bestowed an unqualified favor—“recite it as it ought to be recited”; that is, they follow it as it ought to be followed, for recitation here means following. They deem lawful what it declares lawful, deem unlawful what it declares unlawful, act upon its unequivocal passages, and believe in its ambiguous passages. These are the blessed among the People of the Scripture: those who recognized Allah’s favor and gave thanks for it, believed in all the messengers, and made no distinction between any of them.

They are the true believers—not those among them who said, “We believe in what was sent down to us,” while disbelieving in what came after it.

He therefore warned them with His words: “As for those who disbelieve in it, it is they who are the losers.” The verse following this one has already been explained.