ONE AYAT A DAY
اُولٰۤىِٕكَ الَّذِيْنَ اشْتَرَوُا الضَّلٰلَةَ بِالْهُدٰىۖ فَمَا رَبِحَتْ تِّجَارَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوْا مُهْتَدِيْنَ
Ulā'ikal-lażīnasytarawuḍ-ḍalālata bil-hudā, famā rabiḥat tijāratuhum wa mā kānū muhtadīn(a).
Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.
In his Tafsir, As-Suddi reported that Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas`ud commented on; أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلَـلَةَ بِالْهُدَى(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 فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى(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, أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ اشْتَرَوُاْ الضَّلَـلَةَ بِالْهُدَى(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, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواّ ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى 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 sever…