Quran Universe
2:90

بِئۡسَمَا ٱشۡتَرَوۡاْ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمۡ أَن يَكۡفُرُواْ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بَغۡيًا أَن يُنَزِّلَ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦۖ فَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ عَلَىٰ غَضَبٖۚ وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٞ مُّهِينٞ

Bisama ishtaraw bihi anfusahum an yakfuroo bima anzala Allahu baghyan an yunazzila Allahu min fadlihi AAala man yashao min AAibadihi fabaoo bighadabin AAala ghadabin walilkafireena AAathabun muheenun

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

Word by word
  1. بِئۡسَمَاEvil (is) that
  2. ٱشۡتَرَوۡاْ(for) which they have sold
  3. بِهِۦٓwith
  4. أَنفُسَهُمۡthemselves
  5. أَنthat
  6. يَكۡفُرُواْthey disbelieve
  7. بِمَآin what
  8. أَنزَلَhas revealed
  9. ٱللَّهُAllah
  10. بَغۡيًاgrudging
  11. أَنthat
  12. يُنَزِّلَsends down
  13. ٱللَّهُAllah
  14. مِنof
  15. فَضۡلِهِۦHis Grace
  16. عَلَىٰon
  17. مَنwhom
  18. يَشَآءُHe wills
  19. مِنۡfrom
  20. عِبَادِهِۦۖHis servants
  21. فَبَآءُوSo they have drawn (on themselves)
  22. بِغَضَبٍwrath
  23. عَلَىٰupon
  24. غَضَبٖۚwrath
  25. وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَAnd for the disbelievers
  26. عَذَابٞ(is) a punishment
  27. مُّهِينٞhumiliating
Al-Baqarah · 2:90Madinah

Envy that Allah gave His favour to someone else.

Selling yourself for a grudge

What drove it
Allah's favourgiven to whom He wills
met with
envywhy him, not us?
led to
wrath upon wrath
Whose decision
it should have been us
Allah gives as He wills

As-Suddi said they sold themselves. The motive the verse names is resentment that Allah would send His favour on whom He wills. Ibn Kathir: there is no envy worse than this. Abu Al-Aliyah explained the wrath upon wrath as their rejection of Isa, then of Muhammad ﷺ.

Your colleague gets the promotion. Your friend's child gets into the school yours did not. A sister gets married first. The question why her, not me can sour everything. Allah's gifts to others take nothing from you.

It is not fair that they got it instead of me.

Allah gives His favour to whom He wills. Resenting it only hurts me.

Try this

Think of someone whose blessing stings you. Make a sincere dua for them to have more of it.

Related40:60
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

How bad is that for which they have sold their own selves, that they should disbelieve in that which Allah has revealed (the Qur'an), grudging that Allah should reveal of His grace unto whom He wills of His servants. So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath. And for the disbelievers, there is disgracing torment (90)

Mujahid said,

بِئْسَمَا اشْتَرَوْا 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 اشْتَرَوْا 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 ﷺ instead of believing, aiding and supporting him. This behavior of theirs is the result of their injustice, envy and hatred,

أَن يُنَزِّلَ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ 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,

فَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ عَلَىٰ 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 ﷺ and the Qur'an." Similar was said by 'Ikrimah and Qatadah. Allah said,

وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ 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 عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

(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 ﷺ 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 النَّارِ

(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.)