وَءَامِنُوا۟ بِمَآ أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوٓا۟ أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍۭ بِهِۦ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِى ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَإِيَّٰىَ فَٱتَّقُونِ
“And believe in that which I reveal, confirming that which ye possess already (of the Scripture), and be not first to disbelieve therein, and part not with My revelations for a trifling price, and keep your duty unto Me.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, the address in the verse is directed at the People of the Book (Jewish scholars); they were asked to believe in the Quran revealed to Muhammad, and it was noted that this would mean confirming the Torah in their hands. Additionally, it was explained that accepting a small compensation (bribe) in exchange for the verses meant the unjust gain they received in exchange for distorting Allah's rulings (especially on matters such as the punishment for adultery). Finally, it was emphasized that the pronoun in the expression 'evvelü men yekfüru bihî' refers back to the Quran, not to Muhammad; because the command to believe at the beginning was also directed at the Quran.
لا تكونوا أول من كفر بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
Zemahşerî states that the act of breaking oaths mentioned in the verse resembles a woman who, following desires and lusts, unravels the thread after spinning it well. It is narrated that this woman was Reyta bint Sa'd, who spun thread with her slave girls from morning until noon and then had it unraveled again. It is emphasized that the reason for breaking oaths is to cause corruption and deceit among you ('دخلا'), and furthermore, oaths should not be changed in exchange for a small worldly benefit (like the things promised by Quraysh).
وهو اتباع الأهواء والشهوات في نقض الأيمان كالمرأة التي أنحت على غزلها بعد أن أحكمته وأبرمته فجعلته { أنكاثا } جمع نكث وهو ما ينكث فتله . قيل : هي ريطة بنت سعد بن تيم وكانت خرقاء
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this commentator, the expression 'confirming what is in your book' in the verse refers to the fact that the Gospel and Torah bear glad tidings of Prophet Muhammad and the Quran, and therefore, belief in the Quran and the Prophet means confirming the Torah and the Gospel. Accordingly, denying the Quran and Muhammad actually means denying the Torah and the Gospel as well. Furthermore, regarding the expression 'the first to disbelieve' in the verse, it is noted that the People of the Book, despite having to recognize and believe in Prophet Muhammad first, displayed the opposite attitude, and this also increased their sin.
وتكذيب محمد والقرآن تكذيبا للتوراة
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, the verse prohibits concealing Allah's verses in exchange for 'little' worldly benefit compared to 'much' punishment in the afterlife; this compensation is described as 'little' because of the shortness of its duration and the evil of its outcome. Furthermore, it is noted that although the verse literally concerns the Jews, it also includes Muslims who knowingly conceal the truth in exchange for a small worldly benefit.
قلت : وهذه الآية إن كانت في الأخبار فإنها تتناول من المسلمين من كتم الحق مختارا لذلك بسبب دنيا يصيبها
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, the book mentioned in the verse is the Quran revealed to Prophet Muhammad, and this Quran confirms the Torah and Gospel that came before it; the people of the book find it written in their own books. Furthermore, he states that the pronoun in the expression 'do not be among the first to disbelieve in it' may refer back to both Prophet Muhammad and the Quran, because these two are mutually required. Finally, he explains the expression 'do not exchange my verses for a small compensation' as meaning not to conceal the truth and exchange it in return for worldly benefit.
واختار ابن جرير أن الضمير في قوله به عائد على القرآن الذي تقدم ذكره
Comparison
Common ground
Taberî, Fahreddin er-Râzî, and Ibn Kesîr converge on the fact that the verse is addressed to the People of the Book and that the Quran confirms the Torah/Gospel in their possession; therefore, believing in it means confirming their own books. Taberî, Kurtubî, and Ibn Kesîr also interpret the phrase 'exchanging/concealing the verses for a small compensation' as concealing the truth in exchange for worldly benefit, and these three commentators base their views on narrations from earlier exegetes (Mujahid, Suddi, Ibn Abbas, etc.). Taberî and Ibn Kesîr conduct a similar discussion regarding the referent of the pronoun; Ibn Kesîr even cites Taberî's linguistic preference directly.
Differences
Zemahşerî stands out completely differently from the others, focusing on a different verse (breaking oaths and the metaphor of the thread-spinning woman), and thus diverges in subject matter; his analysis is centered on language/rhetoric and a single narration (the story of Reyta bint Sa'd). While Taberî definitively links the pronoun in 'evvelü men yekfüru bihî' to the Quran, Ibn Kesîr offers a more flexible interpretation, saying that this pronoun could refer back to both Prophet Muhammad and the Quran. Fahreddin er-Râzî approaches the subject through the relationship of glad tidings between the Quran and the Torah/Gospel, providing a theological framework; this is different from the narration-focused approach of Taberî and Ibn Kesîr, as it represents a more rational/argumentative method. Kurtubî distinguishes himself from the others by broadening the scope of the verse, stating that it includes not only the Jews but also Muslims who conceal the truth for worldly benefit, thus adding a dimension of universality that sets him apart.
Historical context
Taberî (early period, pioneer of narration-based exegesis) relies primarily on reports from earlier scholars, while Ibn Kesîr, who came after him, continued a similar narration methodology and even directly cited Taberî's views; this shows that the tradition of narration-based exegesis remained relatively fixed over time. Zemahşerî (Mu'tazilite, language and rhetoric-focused school) and Fahreddin er-Râzî (theologian, rational argumentation-focused school), on the other hand, reflect the development of reasoned exegesis over time; language analysis and logical inferences are more prominent in their verse interpretations. Kurtubî (Andalusian, jurisprudence-focused school) combines both linguistic and narration-based methods while broadening the juristic and moral scope of the verse, thus offering a practical reading. Thus, the fundamental narration line has been preserved between the earliest (Taberî) and the most recent (Ibn Kesîr) commentators, but in the intervening periods (Zemahşerî, Râzî, Kurtubî), perspectives from language, theology, and jurisprudence have been added, increasing the diversity of interpretation.
Modern connection
This verse reminds us that concealing truth or distorting it for worldly gain, as in the past, remains a moral sensitivity that deserves attention in contemporary scholarly and social life. As Kurtubî notes in his commentary, this warning is not directed at a specific group but serves as a universal principle for anyone who conceals the truth in exchange for benefit. Making sincerity and honesty the basis when sharing knowledge forms the foundation of trustworthiness in education and social relations, a timeless value that remains relevant.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar