the Scripture and the polytheists.”

He thus distinguished the polytheists as a category separate from the People of the Book. Allah Most High also says:

“Indeed, those who believe, the Jews, the Sabians, the Christians, the Magians, and those who associate partners with Allah.”

He thus made them a separate category from the others.

As for their inclusion in qualified references to polytheism, this occurs in His words, Most High:

“They have taken their rabbis and monks, and the Messiah, son of Mary, as lords besides Allah, though they were commanded only to worship one God. There is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Exalted is He above the partners they associate with Him.”

He thus described them as associating partners with Him. The reason for this distinction is that their religion, as originally revealed by Allah in His Books and conveyed by His messengers, contained no polytheism. As Allah Most High says:

“We never sent a messenger before you without revealing to him: ‘There is no god but Me, so worship Me.’”

Allah Most High also says:

“Ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: Did We appoint any gods besides the Most Merciful to be worshipped?”

And He says:

“We certainly sent a messenger to every nation, saying: ‘Worship Allah and shun false gods.’”

But they altered and changed their religion, introducing forms of polytheism for which Allah had sent down no authority. Thus, polytheism came to exist among them through what they introduced, not through the original religion.

As for His words, Most High:

“Do not hold on to marriage bonds with disbelieving women,”

the definite expression “disbelieving women” refers to the particular women who were married to Muslims. Those were polytheistic women from Mecca and similar places, not women of the People of the Book.