قQuranulKareem

Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 90 (2:90)

ٱلْبَقَرَة

بِئْسَمَا ٱشْتَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ أَن يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بَغْيًا أَن يُنَزِّلَ …

Quran 2:90 is ayah 90 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 1, on page 14 of the Madani Mushaf.

2:90
بِئْسَمَاٱشْتَرَوْا۟بِهِۦٓأَنفُسَهُمْأَنيَكْفُرُوا۟بِمَآأَنزَلَٱللَّهُبَغْيًاأَنيُنَزِّلَٱللَّهُمِنفَضْلِهِۦعَلَىٰمَنيَشَآءُمِنْعِبَادِهِۦ ۖفَبَآءُوبِغَضَبٍعَلَىٰغَضَبٍ ۚوَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَعَذَابٌمُّهِينٌ٩٠
bi'samā ish'taraw bihi anfusahum an yakfurū bimā anzala l-lahu baghyan an yunazzila l-lahu min faḍlihi ʿalā man yashāu min ʿibādihi fabāū bighaḍabin ʿalā ghaḍabin walil'kāfirīna ʿadhābun muhīnun

How wretched is that for which they sold themselves - that they would disbelieve in what Allāh has revealed through [their] outrage that Allāh 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.(90)

Word by word

  1. بِئْسَمَاbi'samāEvil (is) that
  2. ٱشْتَرَوْا۟ish'taraw(for) which they have sold
  3. بِهِۦٓbihiwith
  4. أَنفُسَهُمْanfusahumthemselves
  5. أَنanthat
  6. يَكْفُرُوا۟yakfurūthey disbelieve
  7. بِمَآbimāin what
  8. أَنزَلَanzalahas revealed
  9. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  10. بَغْيًاbaghyangrudging
  11. أَنanthat
  12. يُنَزِّلَyunazzilasends down
  13. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  14. مِنminof
  15. فَضْلِهِۦfaḍlihiHis Grace
  16. عَلَىٰʿalāon
  17. مَنmanwhom
  18. يَشَآءُyashāuHe wills
  19. مِنْminfrom
  20. عِبَادِهِۦ ۖʿibādihiHis servants
  21. فَبَآءُوfabāūSo they have drawn (on themselves)
  22. بِغَضَبٍbighaḍabinwrath
  23. عَلَىٰʿalāupon
  24. غَضَبٍ ۚghaḍabinwrath
  25. وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَwalil'kāfirīnaAnd for the disbelievers
  26. عَذَابٌʿadhābun(is) a punishment
  27. مُّهِينٌmuhīnunhumiliating

Tafsir (commentary) of 2:90

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

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.)

Read the full Surah Al-Baqarah