Surah Baqarah ayat 16 Tafsir Quran 2:16

﴿أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الضَّلَالَةَ بِالْهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا مُهْتَدِينَ﴾
[ البقرة: 16]

2:16 Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.

Those are they who have bought error for guidance that is they have exchanged the latter for the former; so their commerce has not profited them that is to say they have gained nothing from it indeed they have lost because their destination is the Fire made everlasting for them; nor are they guided in what they did.

These are they who have been steered by false belief and exchanged the guidance of Providence to the path of righteousness for a perplexed path in a maze of error, and in consequence their embarking in bad business and their captivation in evil trade have caused them the loss of their souls, they were captive victors who lost in gain, nor could they hit the path of righteousness

In his Tafsir, As-Suddi reported that Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas`ud commented on; أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلَـلَةَ بِالْهُدَى ( These are they who have purchased error with guidance ) saying it means, "They pursued misguidance and abandoned guidance.
" Mujahid said, "They believed and then disbelieved," while Qatadah said, "They preferred deviation to guidance." Qatadah's statement is similar in meaning to Allah's statement about Thamud, وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى ( And as for Thamud, We granted them guidance, but they preferred blindness to guidance ) ( 41:17 ). In summary, the statements that we have mentioned from the scholars of Tafsir indicate that the hypocrites deviate from the true guidance and prefer misguidance, substituting wickedness in place of righteousness.
This meaning explains Allah's statement, أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلَـلَةَ بِالْهُدَى ( These are they who have purchased error with guidance ), meaning, they exchanged guidance to buy misguidance.
This meaning includes those who first believed, then later disbelieved, whom Allah described, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواّ ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ ( That is because they believed, and then disbelieved; therefore their hearts are sealed ) ( 63:3 ). The Ayah also includes those who preferred deviation over guidance.
The hypocrites fall into several categories.
This is why Allah said, فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ ( So their commerce was profitless.
And they were not guided ), meaning their trade did not succeed nor were they righteous or rightly guided throughout all this.
In addition, Ibn Jarir narrated that Qatadah commented on the Ayah, فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ ( So their commerce was profitless.
And they were not guided ), "By Allah! I have seen them leaving guidance for deviation, leaving the Jama`ah ( the community of the believers ) for the sects, leaving safety for fear, and the Sunnah for innovation." Ibn Abi Hatim also reported other similar statements.

In his Tafsir, As-Suddi reported that Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas`ud commented on; أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلَـلَةَ بِالْهُدَى ( These are they who have purchased error with guidance ) saying it means, "They pursued misguidance and abandoned guidance.
" Mujahid said, "They believed and then disbelieved," while Qatadah said, "They preferred deviation to guidance." Qatadah's statement is similar in meaning to Allah's statement about Thamud, وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى ( And as for Thamud, We granted them guidance, but they preferred blindness to guidance ) ( 41:17 ). In summary, the statements that we have mentioned from the scholars of Tafsir indicate that the hypocrites deviate from the true guidance and prefer misguidance, substituting wickedness in place of righteousness.
This meaning explains Allah's statement, أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلَـلَةَ بِالْهُدَى ( These are they who have purchased error with guidance ), meaning, they exchanged guidance to buy misguidance.
This meaning includes those who first believed, then later disbelieved, whom Allah described, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواّ ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ ( That is because they believed, and then disbelieved; therefore their hearts are sealed ) ( 63:3 ). The Ayah also includes those who preferred deviation over guidance.
The hypocrites fall into several categories.
This is why Allah said, فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ ( So their commerce was profitless.
And they were not guided ), meaning their trade did not succeed nor were they righteous or rightly guided throughout all this.
In addition, Ibn Jarir narrated that Qatadah commented on the Ayah, فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ ( So their commerce was profitless.
And they were not guided ), "By Allah! I have seen them leaving guidance for deviation, leaving the Jama`ah ( the community of the believers ) for the sects, leaving safety for fear, and the Sunnah for innovation." Ibn Abi Hatim also reported other similar statements.

( These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance ), they chose disbelief instead of faith and exchanged guidance with error, ( so their commerce did not prosper ), they did not prosper in their bargain but on the contrary ( neither were they guided ) to overcome their error.

These are they who have purchased error for guidance, so their commerce was profitless. And they were not guided.

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