ٱشْتَرَوْا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ 9
Translations
They have exchanged the signs of Allāh for a small price and averted [people] from His way. Indeed, it was evil that they were doing.
Transliteration
Ishtaraw bi-ayati Allahi thamanan qalilan fa-saddu an sabilihi. Innahum saa'a ma kanu ya'malun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns those who trade the signs of Allah for a small price and thereby turn people away from His path. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as referring to religious scholars and leaders who suppress or distort divine guidance for worldly gain, whether through bribery, positions, or material benefits. The phrase 'saa'a ma kanu ya'malun' (evil is what they used to do) emphasizes the severe wrongdoing of prioritizing temporary worldly benefit over eternal truth.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Tawbah was revealed in the 9th year of Hijra during a period of significant conflict between the early Muslim community and hypocrites and those who broke their covenants. This ayah specifically addresses the hypocrites among the People of the Book and those who possessed knowledge but concealed it for material gain, a recurring theme throughout this surah which deals with broken covenants and treachery.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (SAW) said: 'Whoever conceals knowledge by which Allah's boundaries are made clear, Allah will bridle him with a bridle of fire on the Day of Judgment' (Sunan Ibn Majah, Sunan At-Tirmidhi). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim about the destruction that comes when scholars pursue worldly gain.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns against the grave sin of prioritizing material wealth and status over truth and divine guidance, particularly for those entrusted with religious knowledge. It teaches that selling one's principles for temporary worldly benefit results in spiritual ruin and divine displeasure, urging believers to safeguard their integrity and use knowledge to guide others toward righteousness rather than personal gain.
Related Ayahs
لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَـٰكِنۢ بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلشُّقَّةُ ۚ وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَوِ ٱسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
Had it been a near [i.e., easy] gain and a moderate trip, they [i.e., the hypocrites] would have followed you, but distant to them was the journey. And they will swear by Allāh, "If we were able, we would have gone forth with you," destroying themselves [through false oaths], and Allāh knows that indeed they are liars.
وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ٱبْنُ ٱللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ ٱلنَّصَـٰرَى ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ ٱللَّهِ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُم بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ ۖ يُضَـٰهِـُٔونَ قَوْلَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ قَـٰتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
The Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allāh"; and the Christians say, "The Messiah is the son of Allāh." That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before [them]. May Allāh destroy them; how are they deluded?
۞ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَـٰهَدَ ٱللَّهَ لَئِنْ ءَاتَىٰنَا مِن فَضْلِهِۦ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And among them are those who made a covenant with Allāh, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous."
يَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ مَا قَالُوا۟ وَلَقَدْ قَالُوا۟ كَلِمَةَ ٱلْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُوا۟ بَعْدَ إِسْلَـٰمِهِمْ وَهَمُّوا۟ بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُوا۟ ۚ وَمَا نَقَمُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَنْ أَغْنَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ ۚ فَإِن يَتُوبُوا۟ يَكُ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَتَوَلَّوْا۟ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
They swear by Allāh that they did not say [anything against the Prophet (ﷺ)] while they had said the word of disbelief and disbelieved after their [pretense of] Islām and planned that which they were not to attain. And they were not resentful except [for the fact] that Allāh and His Messenger had enriched them of His bounty. So if they repent, it is better for them; but if they turn away, Allāh will punish them with a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And there will not be for them on earth any protector or helper.