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Ali 'Imran (The Family of Imran)

Verse 187of 200

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَٰقَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُۥ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُۥ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَٱشْتَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًۭا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ﴿١٨٧

Translation (Sahih International)

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture, [saying], "You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it." But they threw it away behind their backs and exchanged it for a small price. And wretched is that which they purchased.

Word-by-word meaning

وَإِذْwa-idhAnd when
أَخَذَakhadhatook
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
مِيثَـٰقَmīthāqaa Covenant
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(from) those who
أُوتُوا۟ūtūwere given
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitābathe Book
لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُۥlatubayyinunnahuYou certainly make it clear
لِلنَّاسِlilnnāsito the mankind
وَلَاwalāand (do) not
تَكْتُمُونَهُۥtaktumūnahuconceal it
فَنَبَذُوهُfanabadhūhuThen they threw it
وَرَآءَwarāabehind
ظُهُورِهِمْẓuhūrihimtheir backs
وَٱشْتَرَوْا۟wa-ish'tarawand they exchanged
بِهِۦbihi[with] it
ثَمَنًۭاthamanan(for) a price
قَلِيلًۭا ۖqalīlanlittle
فَبِئْسَfabi'saAnd wretched
مَا(is) what
يَشْتَرُونَyashtarūnathey purchase

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Chastising the People of the Scriptures for Breaking the Covenant and Hiding the TruthIn this Ayah, Allah chastises the People of the Scriptures, from whom Allah took the covenant by the words of their Prophets, that they would believe in Muhammad ﷺ and describe him to the people, so that they would recognize and follow him when Allah sent him.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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