سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 187
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُۥ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُۥ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَٱشْتَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ ﴿187﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(And remember) when Allâh took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the news of the coming of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and the religious knowledge) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it, but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And indeed worst is that which they bought.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
أَخَذَ
akhadha
took
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مِيثَـٰقَ
mīthāqa
a Covenant
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(from) those who
أُوتُوا۟
ūtū
were given
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُۥ
latubayyinunnahu
You certainly make it clear
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
to the mankind
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَكْتُمُونَهُۥ
taktumūnahu
conceal it
فَنَبَذُوهُ
fanabadhūhu
Then they threw it
وَرَآءَ
warāa
behind
ظُهُورِهِمْ
ẓuhūrihim
their backs
وَٱشْتَرَوْا۟
wa-ish'taraw
and they exchanged
بِهِۦ
bihi
[with] it
ثَمَنًۭا
thamanan
(for) a price
قَلِيلًۭا ۖ
qalīlan
little
فَبِئْسَ
fabi'sa
And wretched
مَا
mā
(is) what
يَشْتَرُونَ
yashtarūna
they purchase
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 187) That is, the People of the Book were taken a covenant that the rulings given in their books and the glad tidings and signs mentioned regarding the Last Prophet (peace be upon him) would be openly declared, and they would not commit the crime of concealing them. But they, being engrossed in worldly pursuits, paid no heed to this covenant, and they altered those rulings both verbally and in meaning, and concealed those glad tidings and signs. «فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُوْنَ» "So evil is that which they are purchasing." In this verse, Muslim scholars are also implicitly instructed not to knowingly commit the crime of concealing the truth. In several chains, the following statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is narrated in hadith: [ مَنْ سُئِلَ عَنْ عِلْمٍ فَكَتَمَهُ اُلْجِمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِلِجَامٍ مِّنْ نَّارٍ ] [ ترمذی، العلم، باب ما جاء فی کتمان العلم : ۲۶۴۹، عن أبی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] "Whoever is asked about any matter of knowledge and conceals it, a bridle of fire will be placed in his mouth on the Day of Resurrection."
