أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـٰرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهْتَدِينَ 16
Translations
Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.
Transliteration
Ula'ika alladhina ishtaraw ad-dalala bil-huda fama rahihat tijaratuhum wa ma kanu muhtadin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those who exchange guidance for misguidance, depicting their spiritual transaction as profoundly unprofitable. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as referring to the disbelievers and hypocrites who consciously reject the truth brought by the Prophet Muhammad in favor of falsehood, thereby gaining nothing but loss in both this world and the Hereafter. The metaphor of 'trade' emphasizes the deliberate choice and active rejection involved in turning away from divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Baqarah's description of different categories of people: believers, disbelievers, and hypocrites. Verses 2:14-16 specifically address the hypocrites who claim faith outwardly while harboring disbelief inwardly, making this a Medinan passage addressing the social realities of the early Muslim community.
Related Hadiths
The Hadith of the Seventy Thousand (Sahih Bukhari) describes those who enter Paradise without reckoning, contrasting with those who made poor spiritual transactions. Additionally, the Hadith 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi) reflects the value of choosing guidance over misguidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that rejecting divine guidance is not merely a passive failure but an active, costly choice that yields no spiritual profit; it challenges believers to examine their own decisions and ensure they are consistently choosing truth over falsehood in their daily lives.