Transliteration:( Innal lazeena yaktumoona maaa anzalal laahu minal kitaabi wa yashtaroona bihee samanan qaleelan ulaaa'ika maa yaakuloona fee butoonihim illan Naara wa laa yukallimu humul laahu Yawmal Qiyaamati wa laa yuzakkeehim wa lahum 'azaabun aleem )
"Indeed, those who conceal [370] what Allah has revealed of the Book and exchange it for a small price, they consume not in their bellies except the Fire [372]. And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they will have a painful punishment [373]." (Kanzul Imaan Translation)
Ways of Concealment: The verse refers to those who hide or distort Allah's revealed Book. This could include:
Concealing the actual verses.
Failing to explain or teach the meanings of the verses.
Deliberately misinterpreting or changing the Divine laws for personal gain.
Historical Context: Prior to the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Yahud (Jewish people) of Madinah believed that the Final Prophet would come from the Bani Israel. They would publicly praise the Prophet’s attributes as revealed in the Torah. However, after the birth of the Prophet ﷺ, fearing the loss of their influence and wealth, they began to conceal or alter these verses, hiding the truth about the Prophet's identity.
Those who conceal Allah's guidance or alter the truth will ultimately fill their bellies with fire, referring to the punishment in Hell.
Forbidden food: Consuming unlawful or forbidden food is equated with consuming Hellfire. Either the forbidden food itself will be transformed into a tormenting Hellfire, or their actions will lead them directly to Hell.
Allah’s Silence: On the Day of Resurrection, Allah's silence towards the disbelievers will be a form of torment. His withholding of mercy from them will also serve as a severe punishment.
Particular Punishment: The punishments mentioned here apply especially to those who have concealed Allah's verses for personal gain. For them, there will be no intercession or mercy on the Day of Judgment.
Contrast with Believers: The punishment described is for the disbelievers who hide the truth. For the believers, Allah will speak to them, forgive their sins, and save them from the torment of Hell.
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 173 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 172 which provides the complete commentary from verse 172 through 173.
(2:174) Those who conceal anything of the Book revealed by Allah and sell it away for a trifling gain are merely filling their bellies with Fire.[173] Allah will neither address them on the Day of Resurrection, nor shall He pronounce them “pure”.[174] A painful chastisement lies in store for them.
173. This means that the blame for the growth of whole new codes consisting of superstitions, perverted customs, and unjustifiable taboos lay squarely on the shoulders of those religious scholars who had knowledge of the Scriptures but failed to transmit their knowledge to the common people. Moreover, later, when erroneous practices began to spread among them they remained mute spectators of this drama. Indeed, some of them kept wilfully silent about these matters thinking that their interests would be better served if the Scripture remained a sealed book and its injunctions were kept beyond the access of the common people.
174. This is a refutation of the false claims made by their religious leaders and a clarification of the misconceptions regarding their positions and privileges which these leaders had been spreading among the common people. They spared no efforts to give the impression that they were sacred beings and that anyone who attached himself to them would necessarily earn God’s forgiveness through their intercession. Here God is telling them that He takes no notice of people who are unworthy to intercede for themselves, let alone able to intercede for others.
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