Surah Ali 'Imran 3:187 — translation and meaning

آل عمران · Verse 187 / 200 · Page 75

ۖ وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ

Word by Word

ۖ
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
أَخَذَ
akhadha
took
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah
مِيثَاقَ
mithaqa
a Covenant
الَّذِينَ
alladhina
(from) those who
أُوتُوا
utu
were given
الْكِتَابَ
al-kitaba
the Book
لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ
latubayyinunnahu
You certainly make it clear
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnasi
to the mankind
وَلَا
wala
and (do) not
تَكْتُمُونَهُ
taktumunahu
conceal it
فَنَبَذُوهُ
fanabadhuhu
Then they threw it
وَرَاءَ
waraa
behind
ظُهُورِهِمْ
zuhurihim
their backs
وَاشْتَرَوْا
wa-ish'taraw
and they exchanged
بِهِ
bihi
[with] it
ثَمَنًا
thamanan
(for) a price
قَلِيلًا
qalilan
little
فَبِئْسَ
fabi'sa
And wretched
مَا
ma
(is) what
يَشْتَرُونَ
yashtaruna
they purchase

Transliteration

Wa iz akhazal laahu meesaaqal lazeena ootul Kitaaba latubaiyinunnahoo linnaasi wa laa taktumoona hoo fanabazoohu waraaa'a zuhoorihim washtaraw bihee samanan qaleelan fabi'sa maa yashtaroon

Translation

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.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

Remember, O Prophet, when Allah took a firm promise from the scholars among the Christians and Jews: that they should make the revelation of Allah clear to people, and not hide the guidance in it, or the evidence of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him). But they broke the promise and paid no attention to it, hiding the truth and revealing what was false. They exchanged the promise of Allah for a small price, such as the position or wealth it might buy them. What a terrible price they traded Allah’s promise for!

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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