Thus, those arrogant people who follow their desires are turned away from Allah’s signs: they neither know nor understand. Because they arrogantly abandoned acting upon what they knew and followed their desires, they were punished by being deprived of understanding and knowledge. For knowledge is an enemy to the haughty, just as flowing water is an enemy to high ground.

Those who stand in awe of their Lord acted upon what they knew, so Allah granted them knowledge and mercy. Whoever acts upon what he knows, Allah grants him knowledge of what he did not know. Thus, when Allah said of the Christians, “because among them are priests and monks”—the term ruhbān (monks) derives from rahbana (monasticism)—“and because they are not arrogant,” it was these qualities that made them nearer in affection to the believers. As He said:

“You will surely find the most hostile people toward the believers to be the Jews and those who associate partners with Allah; and you will surely find the nearest of them in affection to the believers to be those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is because among them are priests and monks, and because they are not arrogant.”

Since they possessed awe and were free of arrogance, they were closer to guidance. He therefore said concerning those among them who became Muslims:

“When they hear what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they recognize. They say, ‘Our Lord, we believe, so record us among the witnesses.’”

Ibn ‘Abbās said: “With Muhammad and his community.” They are the community who bear witness. For Christians have religious resolve and worship, but lack knowledge and testimony. Thus, if the Jews are worse than them in being more arrogant, less in awe, and more hard-hearted, the Christians are worse than the Jews in being further astray, more given to associating partners with Allah, and further from treating as forbidden what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden.

Allah described them as associating partners with Him through practices they invented, just as He described the Jews as possessing the arrogance they desired. Allah Most High said:

“They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and the Messiah