Quran Universe
9:9

ٱشۡتَرَوۡاْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ثَمَنٗا قَلِيلٗا فَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُمۡ سَآءَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ

Ishtaraw biayati Allahi thamanan qaleelan fasaddoo AAan sabeelihi innahum saa ma kanoo yaAAmaloona

They have exchanged the signs of Allah for a small price and averted [people] from His way. Indeed, it was evil that they were doing.

Word by word
  1. ٱشۡتَرَوۡاْThey exchange
  2. بِـَٔايَٰتِ[with] the Verses of Allah
  3. ٱللَّهِ[with] the Verses of Allah
  4. ثَمَنٗا(for) a little price
  5. قَلِيلٗا(for) a little price
  6. فَصَدُّواْand they hinder (people)
  7. عَنfrom
  8. سَبِيلِهِۦٓۚHis way
  9. إِنَّهُمۡIndeed
  10. سَآءَevil
  11. مَا(is) what
  12. كَانُواْthey used to
  13. يَعۡمَلُونَdo
At-Tawbah · 9:9Madinah

They sold Allah's signs for a small price.

Trading the truth for a little gain

The trade
Allah's signsguidance, truth
sold for
a small pricepassing worldly gain
then
blocked othersfrom His way
The real price
a good dealI got something
a terrible dealevil is what they did

Ibn Kathir explains that the idolaters gave up following Allah's signs for the lower affairs of this life and then tried to keep the believers from the truth as well. Losing guidance yourself and blocking others from it were joined.

The promotion that needs a small lie. Skipping prayer for one more hour of overtime. Laughing along when religion is mocked, to stay in the group. Every price paid for leaving the truth is small, compared to what you give away.

It is just this once, and what I get is worth it.

Anything I take in exchange for Allah's guidance is a small price.

Try this

Notice one small compromise you make for convenience. Skip it once today.

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

They have purchased with the Ayat of Allah a little gain, and they hindered men from His way; evil indeed is that which they used to do (9)With regard to a believer, they respect not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant! It is they who are the transgressors (10)But if they repent, perform the Salah and give the Zakah, then they are your brethren in religion. (In this way) We explain the Ayat in detail for a people who know (11)

Allah admonishes the idolators and encourages the believers to fight against them because,

اشْتَرَوْا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا

(They have purchased with the Ayat of Allah a little gain,) idolators exchanged following the Ayat of Allah with the lower affairs of life that they indulged in,

فَصَدُّوا عَن سَبِيلِهِ

(and they hindered men from His way), trying to prevent the believers from following the truth,

إِنَّهُمْ سَاءَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ - لَا يَرْقُبُونَ فِي مُؤْمِنٍ إِلًّا وَلَا ذِمَّةً

(evil indeed is that which they used to do. With regard to a believer, they respect not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant!)[9:9-10].

We explained these meanings before, as well as, the meaning of,

فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ

(But if they repent, perform the Salah...)