Quran Universe
2:16

أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشۡتَرَوُاْ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَٰرَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهۡتَدِينَ

Olaika allatheena ishtarawoo alddalalata bialhuda fama rabihat tijaratuhum wama kanoo muhtadeena

Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.

Word by word
  1. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَThose
  2. ٱلَّذِينَ(are) the ones who
  3. ٱشۡتَرَوُاْbought
  4. ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ[the] astraying
  5. بِٱلۡهُدَىٰfor [the] guidance
  6. فَمَاSo not
  7. رَبِحَتprofited
  8. تِّجَٰرَتُهُمۡtheir commerce
  9. وَمَاand not
  10. كَانُواْwere they
  11. مُهۡتَدِينَguided-ones
Al-Baqarah · 2:16Madinah

They traded guidance away and made no profit.

The worst deal a person can make

The trade
guidancewhat they had
sold for
errorwhat they bought
profit
0and no guidance
What it cost
a smart movefitting in, getting ahead
a losing tradegave the best for the worst

Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud said they pursued misguidance and left guidance. Qatadah said: I have seen them leave guidance for deviation, the community for sects, safety for fear. The verse calls it commerce with no profit.

You skip Jumu'ah for a meeting that gets cancelled anyway. You drop an old friend who kept you honest for a crowd that is more fun. It looks like a gain on paper. Count what you actually gave.

I can afford to let my faith slide for now and get ahead.

Swapping guidance for anything is a trade that never pays.

Try this

Name one thing you traded away for convenience this month. Take one step to get it back.

Related41:1763:3
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

These are they who have purchased error with guidance, so their commerce was profitless. And they were not guided (16)

In his Tafsir, As-Suddi reported that Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud commented on;

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الضَّلَالَةَ بِالْهُدَىٰ

(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 فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَىٰ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ

(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,

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الضَّلَالَةَ بِالْهُدَىٰ

(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,

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَىٰ 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 تِّجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا 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 تِّجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا 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.