وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَـٰشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ 199
Translations
And indeed, among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in Allāh and what was revealed to you and what was revealed to them, [being] humbly submissive to Allāh. They do not exchange the verses of Allāh for a small price. Those will have their reward with their Lord. Indeed, Allāh is swift in account.
Transliteration
Wa-inna min ahli al-kitabi laman yu'minu billahi wa-ma unzila ilaykum wa-ma unzila ilayhim khashi'ina lillahi la yashtaruna bi-ayati allahi thamanan qalilan. Ula'ika lahum ajruhum 'inda rabbihim. Inna allaha sari'u al-hisab.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah acknowledges that among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), there are believers who genuinely believe in Allah and accept both the Quran revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and their own scriptures, while maintaining sincere reverence for Allah. These righteous individuals do not exchange Allah's signs for worldly gain, and they shall receive their full reward with their Lord. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize this as recognition of sincere believers among earlier faith communities, while Al-Qurtubi notes the emphasis on their humility (khushu') before Allah as the distinguishing characteristic.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of the People of the Book and their varied responses to Islam. It was revealed in Medina during a period of interaction with Jewish and Christian communities in Arabia. The verse serves to balance the Qur'an's criticism of those among the People of the Book who rejected truth, by acknowledging those among them who believed sincerely.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in a related context that the closest people to believers are those from the People of the Book who believe (hadith preserved in various collections). Additionally, the principle of accepting believers from other faith communities is supported by the hadith about the righteous deeds of non-Muslims being rewarded in this life.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that sincere faith and moral integrity are valued by Allah regardless of one's background, and that worldly temptations should never be allowed to corrupt one's relationship with divine truth. For believers today, it serves as a reminder to respect the genuine faith of others while maintaining commitment to Allah's final revelation, and to never compromise religious principles for material benefit.