The Quran

Preface

وَالَّذينَ آتَيناهُمُ الكِتابَ يَفرَحونَ بِما أُنزِلَ إِلَيكَ ۖ وَمِنَ الأَحزابِ مَن يُنكِرُ بَعضَهُ ۚ قُل إِنَّما أُمِرتُ أَن أَعبُدَ اللَّهَ وَلا أُشرِكَ بِهِ ۚ إِلَيهِ أَدعو وَإِلَيهِ مَآبِ

Yusuf Ali

Those to whom We have given the Book¹ rejoice at what hath been revealed unto thee: but there are among the clans² those who reject a part thereof. Say: “I am commanded to worship God, and not to join partners with Him. Unto Him do I call, and unto Him is my return.”

The Book: in a general sense, Revelation. “Those to whom the Book hath been given” are both (1) the People of the Book of previous revelations, who study the new Revelation in Arabic without prejudice and find in it confirmation of what their ancestors had received; and (2) the Muslims who receive the Qur-ān with such spiritual joy.
Ahzab (plural of hizb = parties, sects, troops, clans. The reference may be to the clans mentioned in 33:20 and 22 (that whole Sūra is called Ahzab). But we can understand it in a perfectly general sense, among all the sections of the people there are persons who would receive a portion of God’s truth but reject whatever does not suit them or fall in with their selfish aims or vain desires. The proper answer to them is: surely, God’s command is universal-to worship and serve Him and refuse to bend the knee to any other; the man of God finds his staff and support in it; but he must invite all to share in its blessings; it came from God, and to God shall we all return.