envy, arrogance, and rancor toward their brothers. In this there is a clear resemblance to the Jews.

The others fall into blameworthy heedlessness. They exaggerate the notion of inner soundness until they regard ignorance of the evil they must know about—and must avoid—as a sign of inner soundness. They do not distinguish between an inner self free of the desire for forbidden evil and a heart devoid of the knowledge of evil that they are commanded to acquire. Along with this ignorance and heedlessness, they may not avoid impurities, and they perform the obligatory purification, in imitation of the Christians.

Enmity arises between the two groups because they neglect a portion of what they were reminded of and because of transgression, which means overstepping the bounds: either through negligence and disregard for what is due, or through aggression and acts of injustice. Sometimes they transgress against one another, and sometimes they transgress against the rights of Allah. The two are inseparable. Hence He says:

“Out of mutual transgression.”

Each group transgressed against the other, neither acknowledging the truth the other possessed nor refraining from aggression against it.

The Most High says:

“Those who were given the Scripture did not become divided until after clear evidence had come to them.”

The Most High also says:

“Mankind was one community; then Allah sent the prophets as bearers of good tidings and warners, and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between people concerning that over which they differed. None differed over it except those who were given it, after clear proofs had come to them, out of mutual transgression.”

The Most High says:

“We certainly gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, judgment, and prophethood,”

and the remainder of the verse. The Most High says something similar concerning Moses son of ‘Imrān. He also says:

“Do not be like those who became divided and differed after clear proofs had come to them.”

And He says:

“Indeed, those who divided their religion and became sects—you have nothing to do with them.”

And He says:

“So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth—the natural disposition with which Allah created mankind. There is no changing Allah’s creation. That is the upright religion, but most people do not know.”

“Turning back to Him, fear Him and establish prayer, and do not be among