This important sūra returns to the “People of the Book” to make a rather revealing statement about the value of their faith. All who do not believe in the “clear sign” – here identified as the messenger – are destined for hell and are the worst of created beings.

98.1 – Those who disbelieve among the People of the Book
With such a beginning, the sūra signals that “belief” in its verses is not simply “religious faith” in general (also v. 6) but specifically belief in “the clear sign.” This sūra also returns to polemic against the People of the Book (vv. 1, 4, 6) – a target who have not appeared since Sūra 62.
The expression “People of the Book” has been understood by many non-Muslims to mean a positive and respectful name for communities who possess a scripture. There are a few verses in the Quran that give this sense, but in fact most of the verses about the People of the Book are negative toward Jews and Christians, their beliefs, and their practices.
There are 31 verses that contain this expression, in addition to many others that mention “those to whom the book was given” or “a portion of the book was given.” Most of the occurrences appear in Sūras 3–5 in passages that some scholars describe as “diatribes” (e.g., translator A. J. Droge). The Quran describes the People of the Book as jealous of the Muslims (2.105, 109; cf. 57.29), disbelieving (3.70, 98, 110; 5.65), deceptive (3.72, 75), and wicked (3.110; 5.59; cf. 4.123).
The Quran claims that the People of the Book believe in “al-Jibt and al-Ṭaghūt” (4.51; cf. 5.60), lead believers astray (2.109; 3.69, 99–100; 4.44), and tamper with scripture (3.71, 78, 187). They are enemies of Allah and the Muslims because they do not accept that the recitations of the messenger are revealed by God (see 2.98; 4.44–45; 5.82 [Jews]). Three verses seem to indicate violence toward the People of the Book: in 33.26 they are “brought down from their fortifications,” some killed and some taken captive; in 59.2 they are expelled from their homes (cf. 59.11); and 9.29 contains the famous command to fight “those who have been given the Book.”
A remarkable series of direct appeals to the People of the Book appears in Sūras 3–5. It begins with the verse that has come to be linked with the Muslim “Common Word” statement of 2007, 3.64, which calls the People of the Book to worship Allah alone. The following verses declare that Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian but rather a Muslim (3.67). Other verses appeal to the People of the Book to believe in what they claim Allah has “sent down” to the messenger (4.47; 5.15, 19) and to stop expressing beliefs about God that the Quran considers false (4.171; 5.77).
The Quran approves the People of the Book who believe in Muslim truth claims (3.110, 199; 29.47; cf. 5.68), are honest with money (3.75), and practice piety (3.113–14). Positive verses also include the peaceable 29.46: “Do not dispute with the People of the Book except with what is better.”