3:187

Salaam all,

This is 3:187
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاء ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ
Waith akhatha Allahu meethaqa allatheena ootoo alkitaba latubayyinunnahu lilnnasi wala taktumoonahu fanabathoohu waraa thuhoorihim waishtaraw bihi thamanan qaleelan fabisa ma yashtaroona

The Aya says:
And as Allah took the assurance of the ones who were given the book that you (plural) shall make it clear to the people and not suppress it. Then they discarded it behind their backs and took in exchange for it a little price. Therefore, bad, is what they took in exchange.

My personal note:
This Aya contains a rule that Allah sent to the people who were given the book before us including Jews and Christians. The rule is let all the book known and clarified to all the people and never hide any knowledge. This rule applied to them and it applies to Muslims since are now also given “the book”. If one hides anything or changes anything for any gain, then the gain is miserly and it is a very bad and losing trade.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Waith: and as/ and when
Akhatha: He took
Note: the root is Hamza-KH-TH and it means taking. AKHATHA is an action that is completed. It means the action of taking happened by the subject (third person singular)
Allahu: Allah
Meethaqa: assurance
Note: the root is W-TH-Qaf and it means in concrete terms, the secure tying of a knot or the pasture that has lots of grass and therefore is assured of providing enough nutrition. So, the other meanings of the term are assurance and security. MEETHAQ is an assurance of or a strong promise of.
Allatheena: those who
Ootoo: were given/ were brought
Note: the root is Hamza-T-Y and it means coming with determination. The concrete word is for the water that flows in a place where it did not rain, therefore suggesting that the water came from somewhere else. OOTOO is a completed action that is derived from the root. It means: the action of coming happened to the object (third person plural) by an undisclosed subject. It then means literally: they were brought/something was made to come to them.
Alkitaba: the book
Note: the root K-T-B and it means putting things together as in grouping the herd together or closing the lips or writing (the most common use), because in writing, one puts the letters and the ideas together. ALKITABA means, the process of writing or the book or anything related to it from the ideas to the ink and paper to the place where all is put together.
Latubayyinunnahu: that you (plural) shall make it clear/ that you shall reveal it/ you are ordered to make it clear.
Note: LA has the feeling of stress to what is about to be said. TUBAYYINUNNAHU is derived from the root B-Y-N and it means between. This word then assumes many meanings as separation and distancing between two or more things. It also carries the meaning of clarification between two things. Here, it adopts the meaning of clarification and exposition. TUBAYYINUNNA is an order addressing a group of people. It means: You (plural) shall or you are ordered to make clear or make available or make clarified the object HU= him and it points to the book.
Lilnnasi: to the people/ to the society.
Note: LI means to. ALNNASI is derived from the root the root is Hamza-N-S and it means socializing. ALNNASI are the society or the people.
Wala: and not
Taktumoonahu: you suppress it/ you hide it
Note: The root is K-T-M and it means in concrete a vine kind of plant that is close to the ground and does not rise on it’s own. In abstract, it means anything that is suppressed so that it is not known or so that it is hidden. TAKTUMOONA is an action that is derived from the root and that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of suppressing is happening or will be happening by the subject (second person plural) of the object HU= him and it points to the book. The term wala taktumoonahu takes the order form and mean: You are ordered not to suppress it or you shall not suppress it.
Fanabathoohu: So, they put him (the book) aside
Note: Fa means therefore or so or then. NABATHOO is derived from the root N-B-TH and it means putting something aside. One concrete word is NABEETH and it means wine, because the grape or date juice is put aside to become wine. NABATHOO is an action that is completed. It means: the putting of the object (HU= him and pointing to the book) aside happened by the subject (third person plural pointing to the people who were given the book).
Waraa: behind
Note: the root is W-R-Hamza and it means behind or in front depending on the context and the plane of thought. WARAA here means behind.
Thuhoorihim: their backs
Note: the root is TH-H-R and it means back of something. This is the concrete word and it also means the behind of something because the back is also the behind. THUHOORI means backs of. HIM means them.
Waishtaraw: and took --- in exchange for---/ bought --- in exchange for ---
Note: WA is a letter that links what is before with what is after. This link is through inclusion, either one is included in the other or they are all included in the bigger sentence or bigger picture. WA is often translated as an addition (and), but inclusion probably covers the meaning a little better. ISHTARAW is derived from the root SH-R-Y and it means selling something to get something in return or buying something and paying with something else or taking something and giving in return something else. ISHTARAWOO is an action that is completed. It means: the action of taking an object (Alkufr= the rejection) in exchange for (the book) happened by the subject (third person plural) for the subject (third person plural).

Bihi: by him/ with him (the book)
Note: Bi denotes that what comes after is a tool and/or an object or an association with an action that was mentioned. If it is an object of the action then it makes it stronger. HI means him and it points to the book.
Thamanan: a price
Note: the root is TH-M-N and it means eight as the number eight. This is the concrete and for the abstract it is used to mean price or at times pricey.
Qaleelan: a little/ cheap
Note: the root is Qaf-L-L and it means becoming few in quality or quantity. QALEELAN is little or few in quality and in quantity.
Fabisa: therefore hardship/ therefore badness/ therefore worse
Note: FA means therefore or so or then. BISA is derived from the root B-Hamza-S and it means lion for concrete. The word is used to mean hardship or hard depending on the situation. BISA means hardship or worse or bad as in this situation.
Ma: what
Yashtaroona: they buy/ the exchange/ they take in exchange
Note: the root is SH-R-Y and it means selling something to get something in return or buying something and paying with something else or taking something and giving in return something else. YASHTAROONA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of taking an object (Alkufr= the rejection) in exchange for (the book) is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person plural).

Salaam all and have a great day.


Hussein