003:078

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                               003:078

اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ يَشۡتَرُوۡنَ بِعَهۡدِ اللّٰهِ وَاَيۡمَانِهِمۡ ثَمَنًا قَلِيۡلًا اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمۡ فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللّٰهُ وَلَا يَنۡظُرُ اِلَيۡهِمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيۡهِمۡ  وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَ لِيۡمٌ‏

In-nul-la-ze-na-yush-ta-roo-na                                                                                                          Bay-ah-dil-laa-hay-wa-ai-maa-nay-him                                                                                          Tha-ma-nun-qa-le-lun                                                                                                                        O-laa-aiy-ka-laa-kha-laa-qa-la-hoom-fil-aa-khay-ra-tay                                                         Wa-laa-yo-kul-lay-mo-ho-mool-laa-ho                                                                                           Wa-laa-yun-za-ro-elai-him-yao-mul-qay-yaa-ma-tay                                                               Wa-laa-yo-zuk-ke-him                                                                                                                            Wa-la-hoom-azaa-boon-alee-m

Certainly those who sell                                                                                                           The pledge with Allah and their faiths                                                                                 For a paltry price                                                                                                                        They all won’t have a share in the Hereafter.                                                                   And Allah won’t talk to them.                                                                                                   And He won’t look at them on the Judgment Day.                                                           And He won’t cleanse them.                                                                                                      And for them is a painful punishment.

• اِنَّ — In-na…(ul) — Certainly (= Absolutely; definitely; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed;      positively; really; seriously; surely; truly; verily)
• ٱلَّذِينَ — Ul-la-ze-na– Those who (= pl., m, 3^rd person. All those articles, things or persons)
• يَشۡتَرُوۡنَ — Yush-ta-roo-na — Sell (= v., pl., Barter; buy and sell; exchange; give; purchase; take; trade; traffic)
• بِ — Bay — With (= Literally the word  بِ  means ‘with’)
• عَهۡدِ — Ah-day..(il) — Contract   *   (= n., agreement; commitment; covenant; pledge; promise. A binding, firm, serious or solemn affirmation, assurance, confirmation, undertaking or ratification)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The One and the Only One Almighty God)
• وَ  — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اَيۡمَانِ — Ai-maa-nay — Faith   *   (= n., Affirmation; behest of Faith; belief; oath; solemn declaration; total confidence; trust. A/t/a, pledge; promise; vow. Also, a swear when NOT used as a word of a bad language, blaspheme, curse or cuss)
• هِمۡ — Him — Their (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. Refers to ‘Sellers of promise to Allah for a paltry price’)
• ثَمَنًا — Tha-ma-nun — A price (= Consideration paid and accepted in an exchange for an article bought or sold; end; gain; profit; sum; value)
• قَلِيۡلًا — Qa-le-lun — Paltry (= A bit; a few; a short while in time; comparatively insignificant; less, little, small or tiny in number, quality or quantity; miserably low. A/t/a, worldly)
• اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ — O-laa-aiy-ka — They all (= Acts; facts, items, persons or things)
•  لَا — Laa — Won’t (= Absolute denial; never; not at all; total negation)
• خَلَاقَ — Kha-laa-qa — Share (= Big share; entitlement; good fortune; ownership; part; portion; slice)
• لَ — La — For (= For the attention, benefit, convenience, determination, object, general convenience or purpose; to; towards. Also, concerning, regarding; relative to; intended for)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them  (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. See  هِمۡ  above)
• فِىۡ — Fee…(il) — In (= Amidst, among, contained or inside a duration, time, place, period, thing or situation).
• ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ‌ — Aa-khay-ra-tay — The Hereafter (= Life in the Hereafter; beyond this life; life after death; next life or world; the distant world yet to come; later on or the far one. The life and the world yet to come)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
•  لَا — Laa — Not (= Absolute denial; never; not at all; total negation)
• يُكَلِّمُ — Yo-kul-lay-mo — He will talk   *   (= v., Address; bestow a favor, communicate; converse; say; speak. A/t/a, admonish; preach; profess; ‘deign to speak to them.’ Some translations have added words such as affectionately, kindly and generously * )
• هُمُ — Ho-mo..(ol) — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. See  هِمۡ  above)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The One and the Only One Almighty God)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
•  لَا — Laa — Not (= Absolute denial; never; not at all; total negation)
• يَنۡظُرُ — Yun-zo-ro — Look at    *    (= v., s., Consider; gaze; have regard for; look upon; see; take notice of; think about; watch. Also, realize; reflect
• اِلَيۡ — E-lai — At (= In the direction of; to; towards)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. See هِمۡ  above)
• يَوۡمَ — Yao-ma..(ul) — Day (= s., A period, term or time that ends; juncture)
• الۡقِيٰمَةِ‌ — Qay-yaa-ma-tay — Judgment (= Reckoning; Resurrection; Ultimate settlement)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
•  لَا — Laa — Won’t (= Absolute denial; never; no; not at all; total negation)
• يُزَكِّيۡ — Yo-zuk-ki — Cleanse     *     (= v., pres., s., 3^rd person., 1. Cleanse, clean or purify of sin; sanctify. 2. Develop and grow someone by the cleansing process of removing his impurities, shortcomings and  weaknesses. 3. Make another develop, grow, increase or multiply in spiritual understanding. See also the Note 002:175)
• هِمۡ — Him — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. See  هِمۡ  above)

The Warning about Punishment in next five words is given for misdeeds named                          in verses 002:011, 002:175, 003:078,  003:092, 003:178 and many others.

• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• لَ — La — For (= For the attention, benefit, convenience, determination, object, general convenience or purpose; to; towards. Also, concerning, regarding; relative to; intended for)
• هُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3 ^rd person. See  هِمۡ  above)
• عَذَابٌ — Azaa-boon — Punishment (= Appropriate, due and fair agony, chastisement, doom, penalty, recompense, torment, torture or scourge)
• اَلِيۡمٌ — Aa-lee-moon — Painful (= adj., Grievous; hard task; severe; stern; woeful)

* Note 003:078.  This verse has highlighted two significant phenomenon.

I

It takes two parties to make an agreement or contract. Man pledged and promised certain things to his Creator who accepted them. The phrase  عَهۡدِ اللّٰهِ  refers to the promises made to God.

On the other hand, man can express his mind. So his unilateral actions profess what he believes. The phrase  اَيۡمَانِهِمۡ   refers to such expressions that man makes on his own.

The verse specifies both kinds of multi-party contracts and single-party expressions of one’s mind. There are people who sell them presently for small gains. Their preference for an immediate return loses the sight of the far better results in future.

II

God Almighty specified in the Scriptures as to what He expects of every human being. Most people willingly spend their lives in accordance with the Commandments and Prohibitions. Those unwilling must nevertheless obey the Rules of Universal Application where laid down. This verse states three of His attributes with which God will treat man and adjudge his actions on the day of Judgment.

• He would converse, speak and talk to most lovingly and generously – but not to some.
• He would see and look at the deeds of most kindly and forgivingly – but not of some.
• He would cleanse impurities in most affectionately and thoroughly – but not in some.

God Almighty is indeed Affectionate, Forgiving, Generous, Giving, Kind and Loving to all His creatures. But by this verse He has warned the sellers of His signs, His good name, and their oaths. This group of violators — known as the Clergy or Mullah who notoriously do these violations well and all the time — has been promised stiff penalty. The translations stating God’s love, affection, forgiveness, generosity and kindness to such violators are not appropriate.

That is the reason why the simple and straightforward translation mandates that (a) the three attributes be presented as sternly as they have been stated in the original text and (b) no translator should try to soften up the impact of this strong warning against selling God’s signs.