They are indeed those who bartered away good guidance for error and gained nothing from the deal, nor found the right way.
These are the people who purchased error in exchange of guidance – so their bargain did not profit them, and they did not know how to trade.
Those are they that have bought error at the price of guidance, and their commerce has not profited them, and they are not right-guided.
[for] it is they who have taken error in exchange for guidance; and neither has their bargain brought them gain, nor have they found guidance [elsewhere].
These are they who purchased error for guidance, but their traffic profited not, nor have they ever become guided.
These are they who have purchased error for guidance, so their commerce was profitless. And they were not guided.
Those are they who have bartered error for guidance; but their trade does not profit them, and they are not guided.
These are the people who have bartered away Guidance for error, but this is a profitless bargain that they have made, and they are not at all on the right way.
These are they who have purchased error with guidance, so their commerce was profitless. And they were not guided.
These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided.
They are the ones who bought error for guidance, so their trade did not profit them, nor were they guided.
Such are those who barter away guidance for error, their trade did not profit (them), nor are they guided.
Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.
They have traded guidance for error, but their bargain has had no profit and they have missed the true guidance.
These are they who buy error for the right direction, so their bargain shall bring no gain, nor are they the followers of the right direction.
Ol<u>a</u>ika alla<u>th</u>eena ishtarawoo a<b>l</b><u>dd</u>al<u>a</u>lata bi<b>a</b>lhud<u>a</u> fam<u>a</u> rabi<u>h</u>at tij<u>a</u>ratuhum wam<u>a</u> k<u>a</u>noo muhtadeen<b>a</b>
Such are those who have taken misguidance in exchange for guidance; but their bargain does not profit them, nor have they found true guidance.
These are they who have bartered Guidance for error: But their traffic is profitless, and they have lost true direction,
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَٰرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهْتَدِينَ
It is they who are the fools, because they exchanged faith for disbelief; and this exchange did not help them in any way, because they lost their faith in Allah and lost the way to the truth.
It is they who are the fools, because they exchanged faith for disbelief; and this exchange did not help them in any way, because they lost their faith in Allah and lost the way to the truth.
<p>The ninth verse shows the basic denseness of the hypocrites - how they failed to make use of the ordinary sense of discrimination. They had grown up in a pagan society, and knew very well what the way of the infidels was. Now they had become familiar enough with Islam too, and could easily see the difference. But, in their greed, and for the sake of petty worldly profit, they still chose disbelief as against Islam, and bartered away something as invaluable as Iman ایمان (faith) for something as worthless, and even harmful as kufr کفر (infidelity). In giving the name of 'trade' or 'commerce' to this action, the Holy Qur'an suggests that these worldly-wise men had no understanding even of the art of trading.</p>
The ninth verse shows the basic denseness of the hypocrites - how they failed to make use of the ordinary sense of discrimination. They had grown up in a pagan society, and knew very well what the way of the infidels was. Now they had become familiar enough with Islam too, and could easily see the difference. But, in their greed, and for the sake of petty worldly profit, they still chose disbelief as against Islam, and bartered away something as invaluable as Iman ایمان (faith) for something as worthless, and even harmful as kufr کفر (infidelity). In giving the name of 'trade' or 'commerce' to this action, the Holy Qur'an suggests that these worldly-wise men had no understanding even of the art of trading.
<p>In his Tafsir, As-Suddi reported that Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas`ud commented on; </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلَـلَةَ بِالْهُدَى</div><p>(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, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى</div><p>(And as for Thamud, We granted them guidance, but they preferred blindness to guidance) (41:17). </p><p>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, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلَـلَةَ بِالْهُدَى</div><p>(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, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواّ ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ</div><p>(That is because they believed, and then disbelieved; therefore their hearts are sealed) (63:3). </p><p>The Ayah also includes those who preferred deviation over guidance. The hypocrites fall into several categories. This is why Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ</div><p>(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, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهْتَدِينَ</div><p>(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. </p>
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. 