The Holy Quran, like a pristine spring, presents divine knowledge to humanity through clear verses, wherein every word and phrase conceals mysteries of wisdom and guidance. Verse 77 of Surah Al-Imran, with a powerful and profound tone, critiques those who have sold the covenant of God and their faith for a trivial price, thereby leading themselves and society towards ruin. This treatise, by reflecting on this noble verse, explores its meanings and messages and examines, through a sociological lens, the role of passive and insignificant masses in the spread of oppression and corruption. The aim is to elucidate the precise Quranic concepts, opening a pathway for reforming individual and social behaviours, while emphasising the importance of awareness and freedom against the lure of insignificant worldly temptations.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَئِكَ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Indeed, those who sell the covenant of God and their oaths for a trivial price such have no portion in the Hereafter; and God will neither speak to them nor look upon them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful punishment.
This noble verse, with eloquent language and a forceful tone, censures those who knowingly sell the divine covenant and their faith for a meagre and transient price, thereby depriving themselves of Gods mercy. The term يَشْتَرُونَ (they buy/sell), derived from the root اشتری, in the causative form, denotes a conscious and voluntary act. The choice of this word indicates deliberate and intentional betrayal of the divine covenant, as though the individual, with open eyes, exchanges the precious gem of faith for worthless merchandise.
The phrase عَهْدِ اللَّهِ refers to the acknowledgement of the Prophethood of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) and the commitment to accept Divine Unity and Prophethood. This covenant constitutes the essence of faith that binds man to God and His religion. Conversely, أَيْمَانِهِمْ denotes the external oaths and commitments manifested in behaviour and social interactions. These two, akin to two wings of faith, must be in perfect harmony; however, selling them for a trivial price signifies hypocrisy and baseness.
The divine covenant, as a sacred pact, calls man to adhere to truth and justice. Selling this covenant is tantamount to surrendering the essence of existence to the transient winds of the world. Faith, manifested in conduct and deeds, when sold for a meagre price, not only empties the individual of spiritual values but also leads society towards degradation.
The phrase ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا denotes a trivial price, such as a small amount of money or fleeting worldly benefit, received in exchange for the covenant and faith. This expression depicts the abasement of the transaction, as though a man trades the incomparable gem of faith for worthless ashes. The Holy Quran, through this phrase, points to the baseness of those who sell the exalted divine values for trivial worldly goods.
Examples of such petty transactions are abundant in daily life: a person who gives false testimony for a few coins, or a labourer who accepts slander and defamation for a paltry wage. These behaviours stem not only from material poverty but also from a lack of moral conscience and spiritual weakness. Just as a star shines in the night sky, the divine covenant shines in the human soul; however, selling it for a trivial price transforms that light into darkness.
Verse 77 of Surah Al-Imran, with a forceful expression, critiques those who knowingly sell their divine covenant and faith for a trivial price. This transaction is not merely betrayal of divine truth but is rooted in moral and spiritual weakness. The vocabulary of the verse, from يَشْتَرُونَ to ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا, emphasises the volitional and contemptible nature of this act. This section, by elucidating the key concepts of the verse, provides a foundation for its sociological and ethical analysis.
The phrase لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُمْ means a complete absence of any spiritual benefit or reward in the Hereafter. خَلَاق refers to spiritual value and fruitfulness, and deprivation thereof signifies total rejection from Divine mercy. Those who have sold their covenant and faith for a trivial price will be devoid of any reward or status on the Day of Resurrection. It is as if they have transformed a fruitful garden into a barren desert.
The verse enumerates four punishments for these individuals:
These punishments, like a chain of deprivation, sever the individual from all connection with Divine mercy. The absence of speech, gaze, and purification plunges man into absolute darkness, a state devoid of hope for salvation.
The phrase وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ refers to a painful punishment that surpasses ordinary pain. أَلِيمٌ denotes a unique quality beyond normal suffering. This punishment, like a terrible storm, immerses the sinners in an intertwined chaos, where pain and turmoil merge. Popular conceptions of Hell, such as being suspended by hair, fall short of the reality of this punishment. Hell, in this view, is a scene of collapse and chaos in which sinners are engulfed.
A striking feature of this verse is the severity of punishment for those who sold their covenant for a trivial price. This severity, compared to the torment of notorious oppressors like Pharaoh or Shimr, may appear paradoxical. The explanation is that these individuals, through their baseness and passivity, provide the ground for oppression. They act as kindling for the fire, feeding corruption and dragging society towards ruin.
Verse 77 of Surah Al-Imran, by enumerating multiple punishments, speaks of the complete deprivation of those who have sold their covenant and faith for a trivial price. These punishments, ranging from lack of spiritual benefit to total exclusion from Divine mercy, reveal the depth of their betrayal. The Adhb Al-Alm, with its extraordinary nature, depicts a chaos in which sinners are engulfed. This section highlights Divine justice and the role of these individuals in facilitating oppression.
A prominent point in this verse is the reference to the role of the insignificant masses, or as the text terms, the cannon fodder, in the spread of oppression and corruption. These individuals, whom the Quran refers to as أُولَئِكَ, sell their covenant and faith for a trivial price due to moral weakness and passivity, thus enabling oppression. Without the support of these masses, great oppressors like Shimr or Harmala would have been incapable of committing their atrocities.
The historical example of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) provides clear testimony to this claim. Had the passive masses, who remained silent or accompanied oppression for a trivial price
