ٱشۡتَرَوۡاْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ثَمَنٗا قَلِيلٗا فَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُمۡ سَآءَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ
They exchanged the verses of Allah for an abject price, therefore prevented from His way; indeed what they do is extremely evil.
Tafsir:
اشْتَرَوْاْ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً
(They have purchased with the Ayat of Allah a little gain,) idolators exchanged following the Ayat of Allah with the lower affairs of life that they indulged in,
فَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ
(and they hindered men from His way), trying to prevent the believers from following the truth,
إِنَّهُمْ سَآءَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَلاَ يَرْقُبُونَ فِى مُؤْمِنٍ إِلاًّ وَلاَ ذِمَّةً
(evil indeed is that which they used to do. With regard to a believer, they respect not the ties, either of kinship or of covenant!) 9:9-10. We explained these meanings before, as well as, the meaning of,
فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلَوةَ
(But if they repent, perform the Salah...)