and dirhams and dinars, among other things. The Most High said:

“Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, who believe in superstition and false gods?”

He also said:

“A group of those who were given the Scripture cast the Book of Allah behind their backs as though they did not know, and followed what the devils recited during Solomon’s reign. Solomon did not disbelieve”—and the rest of the verse.

They are more hostile to the believers than the Christians are, their disbelief is graver, and they have incurred Allah’s anger. Hence it has been said that they are below the Christians in the Fire. If the Jews do not worship the Messiah, they have nevertheless fabricated lies against him and his mother that are graver than the Christians’ disbelief. For this reason, Allah has placed the Christians above them until the Day of Resurrection.

The Christians are polytheists who worship Allah while associating partners with Him. As for the Jews, they do not worship Allah; rather, they abandon His worship and disdain it. Whenever a messenger brought them something contrary to their desires, they grew arrogant: some they denied, and others they killed. Rather, they follow their desires and worship Satan. Thus, the Prophet and the believers do not worship what the Jews worship. Although they describe Allah with some attributes that befit Him, they also ascribe to Him things far beneath His perfection. Their hearts contain no worship devoted to Him alone, for that is found only in those who worship Him as He has commanded.

In this surah, He did not say:

“O polytheists,”

such that it could be said that it