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wa-ʾidh ʾakhadha llāhu mīthāqa lladhīna ʾūtū l-kitāba la-tubayyinunnahū li-n-nāsi wa-lā taktumūnahū fa-nabadhūhu warāʾa ẓuhūrihim wa-shtaraw bihī thamanan qalīlan fa-biʾsa mā yashtarūna
When Allah made a covenant with those who were given the Book: ‘You shall explain it for the people, and you shall not conceal it,’ they cast it behind their backs and sold it for a paltry gain. How evil is what they buy!
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah 'Ali-Imran, Verse 187
187. "And (remember) when Allah took a pledge from those who were given the Book (saying): 'You shall certainly make it known to people and you shall not hide it '. But they cast it behind their backs and took a small price for it, then, how bad what they purchase."
The reason that there are many millions of the Christians, the Jews, and the Zoroastrians throughout the world is totally for the sake of inopportune silence of their learned people. According to the of Atyab-ul-Bayan, there are more than sixty occurrences in the New Testament and Old Testament where the glad tidings of Islam and the Prophet (S) is referred to, but the learned persons of the People of the Book have left all of them away. The sin of concealment is so important that Allah has used such a meaning for its retribution that He has applied for no other sin. The concerning verse says:
Explanations
1. Whatever concealment that causes people to remain in paganism, infidelity, ignorance and corruption is a great sin, and the concealer has a share in the sin of people.
2. The motive of the annihilating silences are usually obtaining wealth or social rank and or protecting it.
3. The learned persons are responsible for their people.
4. The statement and exhibition of facts must be done in a way that nothing be concealed for people.
5. Mere knowledge is not enough for attaining prosperity and felicity. Piety and appropriate heedlessness to the worldly wealth and social rank is necessary, too.
Footnotes