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Ayah
Word by Word
بِئۡسَمَا
Evil (is) that
ٱشۡتَرَوۡاْ
(for) which they have sold
بِهِۦٓ
with
أَنفُسَهُمۡ
themselves
أَن
that
يَكۡفُرُواْ
they disbelieve
بِمَآ
in what
أَنزَلَ
has revealed
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
بَغۡيًا
grudging
أَن
that
يُنَزِّلَ
sends down
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
مِن
of
فَضۡلِهِۦ
His Grace
عَلَىٰ
on
مَن
whom
يَشَآءُ
He wills
مِنۡ
from
عِبَادِهِۦۖ
His servants
فَبَآءُو
So they have drawn (on themselves)
بِغَضَبٍ
wrath
عَلَىٰ
upon
غَضَبٖۚ
wrath
وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
And for the disbelievers
عَذَابٞ
(is) a punishment
مُّهِينٞ
humiliating
بِئۡسَمَا
Evil (is) that
ٱشۡتَرَوۡاْ
(for) which they have sold
بِهِۦٓ
with
أَنفُسَهُمۡ
themselves
أَن
that
يَكۡفُرُواْ
they disbelieve
بِمَآ
in what
أَنزَلَ
has revealed
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
بَغۡيًا
grudging
أَن
that
يُنَزِّلَ
sends down
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
مِن
of
فَضۡلِهِۦ
His Grace
عَلَىٰ
on
مَن
whom
يَشَآءُ
He wills
مِنۡ
from
عِبَادِهِۦۖ
His servants
فَبَآءُو
So they have drawn (on themselves)
بِغَضَبٍ
wrath
عَلَىٰ
upon
غَضَبٖۚ
wrath
وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
And for the disbelievers
عَذَابٞ
(is) a punishment
مُّهِينٞ
humiliating
Translation
How wretched is that for which they sold themselves - that they would disbelieve in what Allāh has revealed through [their] outrage that Allāh would send down His favor upon whom He wills from among His servants. So they returned having [earned] wrath upon wrath. And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.
Tafsir
Evil is that for which they sell their souls, that is, their share of the reward [in the Hereafter] (bi'samaa, 'evil is that [for] which': maa here is an indefinite particle, representing 'a thing', and constitutes a specification qualifying the subject of [the verb] bi's, 'evil is', the very thing being singled out for criticism); that they disbelieve in that, Qur'aan, which God has revealed, grudging (baghyan here is an object denoting reason for yakfuroo, 'they disbelieve'), that is, out of envy, that God should reveal (read either yunzil or yunazzil) of His bounty, the Inspiration, to whomever He will of His servants, to deliver the Message; and they were laden, they returned, with anger, from God for their disbelief in what He has revealed (the indefinite form, bighadabin, 'with anger', is used to emphasise the awesomeness [of the 'anger']), upon anger, which they deserved formerly, when they neglected the Torah and disbelieved in Jesus; and for the disbelievers there shall be a humiliating chastisement.
"The Jews were awaiting the Prophet's coming, but They disbelieved in Him when He was sent
Allah said,
وَلَمَّا جَاءهُمْ
And when there came to them,
meaning, the Jews,
كِتَابٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللّهِ
a Book from Allah,
meaning, the Qur'an that Allah sent down to Muhammad.
مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ
confirming what is with them,
meaning, the Tawrah.
Further, Allah said,
وَكَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
although aforetime they had invoked Allah (for coming of Muhammad) in order to gain victory over those who disbelieved),
meaning, before this Messenger came to them, they used to ask Allah to aid them by his arrival, against their polytheistic enemies in war. They used to say to the polytheists, ""A Prophet shall be sent just before the end of this world and we, along with him, shall exterminate you, just as the nations of `Ad and Iram were exterminated.""
Also, Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn Abbas said,
""The Jews used to invoke Allah (for the coming of Muhammad) in order to gain victory over the Aws and Khazraj, before the Prophet was sent. When Allah sent him to the Arabs, they rejected him and denied what they used to say about him.
Hence, Mu`adh bin Jabal and Bishr bin Al-Bara bin Ma`rur, from Bani Salamah, said to them, `O Jews! Fear Allah and embrace Islam. You used to invoke Allah for the coming of Muhammad when we were still disbelievers and you used to tell us that he would come and describe him to us.'
Salam bin Mushkim from Bani An-Nadir replied, `He did not bring anything that we recognize. He is not the Prophet we told you about.'
Allah then revealed this Ayah about their statement,
وَلَمَّا جَاءهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ
(And when there came to them (the Jews), a Book (this Qur'an) from Allah confirming what is with them (the Tawrah) and the Injil (Gospel)).""'
Abu Al-Aliyah said,
""The Jews used to ask Allah to send Muhammad so that they would gain victory over the Arab disbelievers. They used to say, `O Allah! Send the Prophet that we read about - in the Tawrah - so that we can torment and kill the disbelievers alongside him.'
When Allah sent Muhammad and they ﷺ that he was not one of them, they rejected him and envied the Arabs, even though they knew that he was the Messenger of Allah.
Hence, Allah said,
فَلَمَّا جَاءهُم مَّا عَرَفُواْ كَفَرُواْ بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّه عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ
Then when there came to them that which they had recognized, they disbelieved in it. So let the curse of Allah be on the disbelievers.
Allah said,
بِيْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ أَن يَكْفُرُواْ بِمَا أنَزَلَ اللّهُ بَغْياً
How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves, that they should disbelieve in that which Allah has revealed (the Qur'an),
Mujahid said that the Ayah,
بِيْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ
(How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves), means
""The Jews sold the truth for falsehood and hid the truth about Muhammad.""
As-Suddi said that the Ayah,
بِيْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ
(How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves) means,
""The Jews sold themselves.""
meaning, what is worse is what they chose for themselves by disbelieving in what Allah revealed to Muhammad instead of believing, aiding and supporting him. This behavior of theirs is the result of their injustice, envy and hatred,
أَن يُنَزِّلُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ
grudging that Allah should reveal of His grace unto whom He wills of His servants.""
There is no envy worse than this.
Therefore,
فَبَأوُواْ بِغَضَبٍ عَلَى غَضَبٍ
So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath.
Ibn Abbas commented on this Ayah,
""Allah became angry with them because they ignored some of the Tawrah and disbelieved in the Prophet that He sent to them.""
I (Ibn Kathir) say that;
the meaning of,
بَأوُواْ
(And they drew on themselves) is that they deserved and acquired multiplied anger.
Also, Abu Al-Aliyah said,
""Allah became angry with them, because of their disbelief in the Injil and `Isa and He became angry with them again, because they disbelieved in Muhammad and the Qur'an.""
Similar was said by Ikrimah and Qatadah.
Allah said,
وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ
And for the disbelievers, there is disgracing torment.
Since their disbelief was a result of their transgression and envy, which was caused by arrogance, they were punished with disgrace and humiliation in this world and the Hereafter.
Similarly, Allah said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَخِرِينَ
Verily, those who scorn My worship (i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness) they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!"" (40:60),
meaning, ""Disgraced, degraded and humiliated.""
Imam Ahmad narrated that Amr bin Shu`ayb said that his father said that his grandfather said that the Prophet said,
يُحْشَرُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَمْثَالَ الذَّرِّ فِي صُوَرِ النَّاسِ يَعْلُوهُمْ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مِنَ الصِّغَارِ حَتَّى يَدْخُلُوا سِجْنًا فِي جَهَنَّمَ يُقَالُ لَهُ بَوْلَسُ تَعْلُوهُمْ نَارُ الاَْنْيَارِ يُسْقَونَ مِنْ طِينَةِ الْخَبَالِ عُصَارَةِ أَهْلِ النَّار
The arrogant people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection in the size of ants, but in the shape of men. Everything shall be above them, because of the humiliation placed on them, until they enter a prison in Jahannam called `Bawlas' where the fire will surround them from above. They shall drink from the puss of the people of the Fire."
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