Surah Baqarah ayat 90 Tafsir Quran 2:90

﴿بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بَغْيًا أَن يُنَزِّلَ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۖ فَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ عَلَىٰ غَضَبٍ ۚ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ﴾
[ البقرة: 90]

2:90 How wretched is that for which they sold themselves - that they would disbelieve in what Allah has revealed through [their] outrage that Allah would send down His favor upon whom He wills from among His servants. So they returned having [earned] wrath upon wrath. And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.

Evil is that for which they sell their souls that is their share of the reward in the Hereafter bi’samā ‘evil is that for which’ mā here is an indefinite particle representing ‘a thing’ and constitutes a specification qualifying the subject of the verb bi’s ‘evil is’ the very thing being singled out for criticism; that they disbelieve in that Qur’ān which God has revealed grudging baghyan here is an object denoting reason for yakfurū ‘they disbelieve’ that is out of envy that God should reveal read either yunzil or yunazzil of His bounty the Inspiration to whomever He will of His servants to deliver the Message; and they were laden they returned with anger from God for their disbelief in what He has revealed the indefinite form bi-ghadabin ‘with anger’ is used to emphasise the awesomeness of the ‘anger’ upon anger which they deserved formerly when they neglected the Torah and disbelieved in Jesus; and for the disbelievers there shall be a humiliating chastisement.

How worthless is the price they received for selling their souls to immorality and wickedness, inequitably rejecting the truth received from Allah guiding into all truth; a defying impiety induced by transgression -natural to them- and by base envy reflecting sincere hatred upon those whom Allah Has mercifully granted, the prerogative of Prophethood, an unreachable excellence. There and then they came again within the measure of Allahs wrath and incurred wrath upon wrath, and the punishment is humiliating to those who deny Allah and ignore His commands

Mujahid said, بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ( How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves ), "The Jews sold the truth for falsehood and hid the truth about Muhammad ." As-Suddi said that the Ayah, بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ( How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves ) means, "The Jews sold themselves." meaning, what is worse is what they chose for themselves by disbelieving in what Allah revealed to Muhammad instead of believing, aiding and supporting him.
This behavior of theirs is the result of their injustice, envy and hatred, أَن يُنَزِّلُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَى مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ( grudging that Allah should reveal of His grace unto whom He wills of His servants ).
" There is no envy worse than this.
Therefore, فَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ عَلَى غَضَبٍ ( So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath ).
Ibn `Abbas commented on this Ayah, "Allah became angry with them because they ignored some of the Tawrah and disbelieved in the Prophet that He sent to them." I ( Ibn Kathir ) say that the meaning of, بَاءُوا ( And they drew on themselves ) is that they deserved and acquired multiplied anger.
Also, Abu Al-`Aliyah said, "Allah became angry with them, because of their disbelief in the Injil and `Isa and He became angry with them again, because they disbelieved in Muhammad and the Qur'an." Similar was said by `Ikrimah and Qatadah.
Allah said, وَلِلْكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ ( And for the disbelievers, there is disgracing torment ).
Since their disbelief was a result of their transgression and envy, which was caused by arrogance, they were punished with disgrace and humiliation in this world and the Hereafter.
Similarly, Allah said, إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَخِرِينَ ( Verily, those who scorn My worship (i.e.
do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness ) they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!") ( 40:60 ) meaning, "Disgraced, degraded and humiliated." Imam Ahmad narrated that `Amr bin Shu`ayb said that his father said that his grandfather said that the Prophet said,
«يُحْشَرُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَمْثَالَ الذَّرِّ فِي صُوَرِ النَّاسِ، يَعْلُوهُمْ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مِنَ الصِّغَارِ حَتَّى يَدْخُلُوا سِجْنًا فِي جَهَنَّمَ يُقَالُ لَهُ.
بَوْلَسُ تَعْلُوهُمْ نَارُ الْأَنْيَارِ يُسْقَونَ مِنْ طِينَةِ الْخَبَالِ عُصَارَةِ أَهْلِ النَّار»
( The arrogant people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection in the size of ants, but in the shape of men.
Everything shall be above them, because of the humiliation placed on them, until they enter a prison in Jahannam called `Bawlas' where the fire will surround them from above.
They shall drink from the puss of the people of the Fire. )

(2:90) What a mean thing it is with which they delude their minds. *96 They reject the Guidance which Allah has sent down merely because of their grudge why Allah has in His bounty sent it to whom He chose from amongst His servants. *97 They have thus incurred wrath after wrath, and for such disbelievers there is a disgraceful doom.

How wretched is that for which they meaning

*96).
Another possible rendering of the same verse is: 'And how evil is that for the sake of which they have sold themselves', i.e.
for the sake of which they have sacrificed their ultimate happiness and salvation.

*97).
They had longed for the promised Prophet to arise from among their own people.
But when he arose among a diffirent people, a people they despised, they decided to reject him.
It was as if they thought God was duty-bound to consult them in appointing Prophets, and since in this case He had failed to do so they felt they had a right to be offended by God's 'arbitrariness'.

 

Mujahid said, بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ( How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves ), "The Jews sold the truth for falsehood and hid the truth about Muhammad ." As-Suddi said that the Ayah, بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ( How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves ) means, "The Jews sold themselves." meaning, what is worse is what they chose for themselves by disbelieving in what Allah revealed to Muhammad instead of believing, aiding and supporting him.
This behavior of theirs is the result of their injustice, envy and hatred, أَن يُنَزِّلُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَى مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ( grudging that Allah should reveal of His grace unto whom He wills of His servants ).
" There is no envy worse than this.
Therefore, فَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ عَلَى غَضَبٍ ( So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath ).
Ibn `Abbas commented on this Ayah, "Allah became angry with them because they ignored some of the Tawrah and disbelieved in the Prophet that He sent to them." I ( Ibn Kathir ) say that the meaning of, بَاءُوا ( And they drew on themselves ) is that they deserved and acquired multiplied anger.
Also, Abu Al-`Aliyah said, "Allah became angry with them, because of their disbelief in the Injil and `Isa and He became angry with them again, because they disbelieved in Muhammad and the Qur'an." Similar was said by `Ikrimah and Qatadah.
Allah said, وَلِلْكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ ( And for the disbelievers, there is disgracing torment ).
Since their disbelief was a result of their transgression and envy, which was caused by arrogance, they were punished with disgrace and humiliation in this world and the Hereafter.
Similarly, Allah said, إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَخِرِينَ ( Verily, those who scorn My worship (i.e.
do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness ) they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!") ( 40:60 ) meaning, "Disgraced, degraded and humiliated." Imam Ahmad narrated that `Amr bin Shu`ayb said that his father said that his grandfather said that the Prophet said, «يُحْشَرُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَمْثَالَ الذَّرِّ فِي صُوَرِ النَّاسِ، يَعْلُوهُمْ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مِنَ الصِّغَارِ حَتَّى يَدْخُلُوا سِجْنًا فِي جَهَنَّمَ يُقَالُ لَهُ.
بَوْلَسُ تَعْلُوهُمْ نَارُ الْأَنْيَارِ يُسْقَونَ مِنْ طِينَةِ الْخَبَالِ عُصَارَةِ أَهْلِ النَّار» ( The arrogant people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection in the size of ants, but in the shape of men.
Everything shall be above them, because of the humiliation placed on them, until they enter a prison in Jahannam called `Bawlas' where the fire will surround them from above.
They shall drink from the puss of the people of the Fire. )

( Evil is that which they sold their souls: that they should disbelieve in that which Allah hath revealed ) the Book and the Messenger, ( grudging ) resentfully envious ( that Allah should reveal of His bounty ) that out of His bounty, Allah sent Gabriel with the Book and prophethood ( unto whom He will of His bondmen ) meaning Muhammad. ( They have incurred anger upon anger ) they deserved curse upon curse. ( For disbelievers is a shameful doom ) through which they shall be humiliated; and it is said: theirs is a severe punishment.

How bad is that for which they have sold their ownselves, that they should disbelieve in that which Allah has revealed (the Quran), grudging that Allah should reveal of His Grace unto whom He will of His slaves. So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath. And for the disbelievers, there is disgracing torment.

Page 14 English transliteration