سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 174
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَيَشْتَرُونَ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِى بُطُونِهِمْ إِلَّا ٱلنَّارَ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿174﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, those who conceal what Allâh has sent down of the Book, and purchase a small gain therewith (of worldly things), they eat into their bellies nothing but fire. Allâh will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor purify them, and theirs will be a painful torment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
يَكْتُمُونَ
yaktumūna
conceal
مَآ
mā
what
أَنزَلَ
anzala
(has) revealed
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah (has)
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
the Book
وَيَشْتَرُونَ
wayashtarūna
and they purchase
بِهِۦ
bihi
there with
ثَمَنًۭا
thamanan
a gain
قَلِيلًا ۙ
qalīlan
little
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
Those
مَا
mā
not
يَأْكُلُونَ
yakulūna
they eat
فِى
fī
in
بُطُونِهِمْ
buṭūnihim
their bellies
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلنَّارَ
l-nāra
the Fire
وَلَا
walā
And not
يُكَلِّمُهُمُ
yukallimuhumu
will speak to them
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
يَوْمَ
yawma
(on the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ
l-qiyāmati
(of) [the] Judgment
وَلَا
walā
and not
يُزَكِّيهِمْ
yuzakkīhim
will He purify them
وَلَهُمْ
walahum
and for them
عَذَابٌ
ʿadhābun
(is) a punishment
أَلِيمٌ
alīmun
painful
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 174 to 176) ➊ These verses were revealed concerning the Jewish scholars, who, for the sake of acquiring worldly status and wealth, were concealing the attributes of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned in the Torah (see Baqarah: 159), but this includes every person who sells the religion for worldly benefit.
➋ {ثَمَنًا قَلِيْلاً:} This does not mean that they may take a higher price, rather, even if the whole world is given, it is little compared to the Hereafter, as Allah the Exalted has said: « قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْیَا قَلِیْلٌ » [ النساء : ۷۷] "Say, the enjoyment of this world is little."
➌ {فَمَا اَصْبَرَهُمْ عَلَي النَّارِ:} { ”مَا“ } means { ”اَيُّ شَيْءٍ“ } the noun of wonder is the subject, { ”اَصْبَرَهُمْ“ } is a past tense verb with its subject, {’’ هُمْ ‘‘} is the object, the sentence { ”مَا“ } is the predicate of the subject.
➍ {وَ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللّٰهُ :} That is, Allah will not speak to them with love and mercy, otherwise, as a form of anger and rebuke, Allah the Exalted will address them. See Surah Al-Mu’minun (108).
➎ {ذٰلِكَ:} This includes the Jews and Christians hiding the truth, taking a small price in exchange for it, the punishment of fire for it, Allah the Exalted not speaking to them, not purifying them, and the Jews’ audacity and patience regarding the fire—all these things are included. «بِاَنَّ اللّٰہَ نَزَّلَ الْکِتٰبَ» In this and «الَّذِیْنَ اخْتَلَفُوْا فِیْ الْکِتٰبِ» in both places, by {”الْكِتٰبِ“} both the Torah and the Qur’an can be meant. If the Torah is meant, then the meaning is that Allah the Exalted revealed the Torah with the truth, but those who differed concerning this Book, i.e., altered it or accepted some parts and rejected others, they have gone into great opposition to the truth. If the Qur’an is meant, then the meaning is that Allah the Exalted revealed this Book (i.e., the Qur’an) with the truth, but those who differed concerning it—some said this is not the one foretold in the Torah, some said it is only for the unlettered (i.e., illiterate Arabs), as Ibn Sayyad said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). [ بخاری، الجنائز، باب إذا أسلم الصبی … : ۱۳۵۴ ] So all these people have fallen into great opposition, and their rejection of the Qur’an is only because of this opposition.
➋ {ثَمَنًا قَلِيْلاً:} This does not mean that they may take a higher price, rather, even if the whole world is given, it is little compared to the Hereafter, as Allah the Exalted has said: « قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْیَا قَلِیْلٌ » [ النساء : ۷۷] "Say, the enjoyment of this world is little."
➌ {فَمَا اَصْبَرَهُمْ عَلَي النَّارِ:} { ”مَا“ } means { ”اَيُّ شَيْءٍ“ } the noun of wonder is the subject, { ”اَصْبَرَهُمْ“ } is a past tense verb with its subject, {’’ هُمْ ‘‘} is the object, the sentence { ”مَا“ } is the predicate of the subject.
➍ {وَ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللّٰهُ :} That is, Allah will not speak to them with love and mercy, otherwise, as a form of anger and rebuke, Allah the Exalted will address them. See Surah Al-Mu’minun (108).
➎ {ذٰلِكَ:} This includes the Jews and Christians hiding the truth, taking a small price in exchange for it, the punishment of fire for it, Allah the Exalted not speaking to them, not purifying them, and the Jews’ audacity and patience regarding the fire—all these things are included. «بِاَنَّ اللّٰہَ نَزَّلَ الْکِتٰبَ» In this and «الَّذِیْنَ اخْتَلَفُوْا فِیْ الْکِتٰبِ» in both places, by {”الْكِتٰبِ“} both the Torah and the Qur’an can be meant. If the Torah is meant, then the meaning is that Allah the Exalted revealed the Torah with the truth, but those who differed concerning this Book, i.e., altered it or accepted some parts and rejected others, they have gone into great opposition to the truth. If the Qur’an is meant, then the meaning is that Allah the Exalted revealed this Book (i.e., the Qur’an) with the truth, but those who differed concerning it—some said this is not the one foretold in the Torah, some said it is only for the unlettered (i.e., illiterate Arabs), as Ibn Sayyad said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). [ بخاری، الجنائز، باب إذا أسلم الصبی … : ۱۳۵۴ ] So all these people have fallen into great opposition, and their rejection of the Qur’an is only because of this opposition.
