Quran 3:187 — Aal-i-Imraan, verse 187
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
God took a pledge from those who were given the Scripture- ‘Make it known to people; do not conceal it’- but they tossed the pledge over their shoulders, they bartered it for a small price: what a bad bargain they made!
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ
wa-idh akhadha l-lahu mīthāqa alladhīna ūtū l-kitāba latubayyinunnahu lilnnāsi walā taktumūnahu fanabadhūhu warāa ẓuhūrihim wa-ish'taraw bihi thamanan qalīlan fabi'sa mā yashtarūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And when God took compact with those who had been given the Book: 'You shall make it clear unto the people, and not conceal it.' But they rejected it behind their backs and sold it for a small price -- how evil was that their selling!
- Muhammad Asad
- AND LO, God accepted a solemn pledge from those who were granted earlier revelation [when He bade them]: "Make it known unto mankind, and do not conceal it!" But they cast this [pledge] behind their backs, and bartered it away for a trifling gain: and how evil was their bargain!
- Sahih International
- And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Allāh took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture, [saying], "You must make it clear [i.e., explain it] 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.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَإِذْwa-idh | And when | — |
| 2 | أَخَذَakhadha | took | أخذ |
| 3 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 4 | مِيثَـٰقَmīthāqa | a Covenant | وثق |
| 5 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | (from) those who | — |
| 6 | أُوتُوا۟ūtū | were given | أتي |
| 7 | ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitāba | the Book | كتب |
| 8 | لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُۥlatubayyinunnahu | You certainly make it clear | بين |
| 9 | لِلنَّاسِlilnnāsi | to the mankind | نوس |
| 10 | وَلَاwalā | and (do) not | — |
| 11 | تَكْتُمُونَهُۥtaktumūnahu | conceal it | كتم |
| 12 | فَنَبَذُوهُfanabadhūhu | Then they threw it | نبذ |
| 13 | وَرَآءَwarāa | behind | وري |
| 14 | ظُهُورِهِمْẓuhūrihim | their backs | ظهر |
| 15 | وَٱشْتَرَوْا۟wa-ish'taraw | and they exchanged | شري |
| 16 | بِهِۦbihi | [with] it | — |
| 17 | ثَمَنًۭاthamanan | (for) a price | ثمن |
| 18 | قَلِيلًۭا ۖqalīlan | little | قلل |
| 19 | فَبِئْسَfabi'sa | And wretched | بأس |
| 20 | مَاmā | (is) what | — |
| 21 | يَشْتَرُونَyashtarūna | they purchase | شري |