Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (43)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(16) “Those are the ones who purchased misguidance in exchange for guidance. Their trade brought no profit, nor were they guided.”

“Those” means the hypocrites described by those traits, “who purchased misguidance in exchange for guidance.” That is, they desired misguidance as a buyer desires a commodity—so much so that he spends precious wealth (1) to obtain it. This is one of the finest analogies: He likened misguidance, which is the utmost evil, to merchandise, and made guidance, which is the utmost good, the price paid for it. They thus surrendered guidance, turning away from it, in exchange for misguidance, which they desired. Such was their trade—what a wretched trade and what a wretched bargain they made! (2)

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If someone who gives (3) a dinar in exchange for a dirham is a loser, then what of someone who gives away a jewel and receives a dirham for it? “Then what of one who gives up guidance in exchange for misguidance, chooses misery over happiness, and turns from lofty matters toward base ones (4)?” His trade brought no profit; rather, he suffered the greatest possible loss therein. “Say: The true losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss.”

His words, “nor were they guided,” confirm their misguidance and that they obtained no share of guidance. Such are their reprehensible traits.

He then gave a parable that exposes those traits with utmost clarity, saying:

(1) In B: “wealth.” (2) In B: “Such was their bargain—what a wretched bargain!” (3) In B: “gives.” (4) In B: “and forsakes their lofty aspects.”

﴿١٦﴾ ﴿أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الضَّلالَةَ بِالْهُدَى فَمَا رَبِحَتْ تِجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا مُهْتَدِينَ﴾ . أولئك، أي: المنافقون الموصوفون بتلك الصفات ﴿الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُا الضَّلالَةَ بِالْهُدَى﴾ أي: رغبوا في الضلالة، رغبة المشتري بالسلعة، التي من رغبته فيها يبذل فيها الأثمان (١) النفيسة. وهذا من أحسن الأمثلة، فإنه جعل الضلالة، التي هي غاية الشر، كالسلعة، وجعل الهدى الذي هو غاية الصلاح بمنزلة الثمن، فبذلوا الهدى رغبة عنه بالضلالة رغبة فيها، فهذه تجارتهم، فبئس التجارة، وبئس الصفقة صفقتهم (٢) . ⦗٤٤⦘ وإذا كان من بذل (٣) دينارا في مقابلة درهم خاسرا، فكيف من بذل جوهرة وأخذ عنها درهما؟ " فكيف من بذل الهدى في مقابلة الضلالة، واختار الشقاء على السعادة، ورغب في سافل الأمور عن عاليها (٤) ؟ " فما ربحت تجارته، بل خسر فيها أعظم خسارة. ﴿قُلْ إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَلا ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ﴾ . وقوله: ﴿وَمَا كَانُوا مُهْتَدِينَ﴾ تحقيق لضلالهم، وأنهم لم يحصل لهم من الهداية شيء، فهذه أوصافهم القبيحة. ثم ذكر مثلهم الكاشف لها غاية الكشف، فقال:

(١) في ب: الأموال. (٢) في ب: وهذه صفقتهم فبئس الصفقة. (٣) في ب: يبذل. (٤) في ب: وترك عاليها.