You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews and those who associate others with Allāh; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, "We are Christians." That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant.
وَلَتَجِدَنَّand surely you will findwalatajidanna
أَقۡرَبَهُمnearest of themaqrabahum
مَّوَدَّةٗ(in) affectionmawaddatan
لِّلَّذِينَto those wholilladhīna
ءَامَنُواْbelieveāmanū
ٱلَّذِينَthose whoalladhīna
قَالُوٓاْsayqālū
إِنَّاWeinnā
نَصَٰرَىٰۚ(are) Christiansnaṣārā
ذَٰلِكَThat (is)dhālika
بِأَنَّbecausebi-anna
مِنۡهُمۡamong themmin'hum
قِسِّيسِينَ(are) priestsqissīsīna
وَرُهۡبَانٗاand monkswaruh'bānan
وَأَنَّهُمۡand that theywa-annahum
لَا(are) notlā
يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَarrogantyastakbirūna
Tafsir
You will find, O Messenger, that the people with the most hostility towards those who have faith in you and that which you brought are the Jews, due to their malice, jealousy and pride, as well as the idol worshippers and others who associate partners with Allah. You will also find that the people who are closest in affection to those who have faith in you and that which you brought are those who call themselves Christians. The verse explains that the reason for these people being close to the believers is that there are scholars, ascetics and worshippers among them who are humble and not proud. Good does not enter the heart of a proud person.