Coherence of the Verses

The verse under discussion does not have a direct connection to the dialogue between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Rather, it is meant to explain some of the effects of true faith. For this reason, the esteemed teacher ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī(553) and some other exegetes(554) have considered it as a parenthetical sentence. Of course, its relevance to what precedes and follows it is preserved, as explained below:

After the previous verse explained the criterion for the upright religion and the fruit of following the Abrahamic faith, this verse points to the consequence that follows in relation to the Jews and Christians. It does so in this manner: If they (the Jews and Christians) abandon their self-centeredness and racial prejudices and believe as you have believed (which was explained in the previous verse), meaning if they believe in pure Islam and do not differentiate between the prophets, submitting to all divine commands, then they will be guided. However, if they involve racial and tribal issues in religion and differentiate between the prophets or between their messages, they should know that they have separated from the truth and from the ranks of the Muslims, and have become tainted with enmity, harm, and conflict.