Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:174

(Indeed, those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book), which comprises the various types of rulings, among which are the rulings of the lawful and the prohibited. The verse was revealed—as narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him—regarding the scholars of the Jews; they used to receive gifts from their commoners, and they hoped that the sent Prophet would be from among them. When he was sent from others, they concealed and altered his description—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—so that he would not be followed, lest their leadership cease and their gifts be cut off. (And purchase with it) i.e., they take in its stead, in reality—the pronoun refers to the Book, or to what was sent down, or to the concealment—(a small price), i.e., a trivial compensation. (Those—they consume into their bellies nothing but fire). This is either in the present, as is the origin of the present tense, because they consumed that which is clothed with "fire," which is the bribe, due to it being a punishment for it; thus, the verse contains a representational metaphor (isti’arah tamthiliyyah), where the state resulting from their consuming that which is connected to fire is likened to the state extracted from their consuming actual fire, in that the result of consuming either of them—the tearing of the intestines and the pain—is what results from the other. Therefore, the term for the object of comparison was used for the subject of comparison. Or, it is in the future (al-ma’al), meaning they will consume nothing on the Day of Resurrection but fire. Thus, "fire" in both possibilities is used in its literal sense. It has been said that it is a metaphor for the bribe if the present is intended, with the relationship being causality; and it is literal if the future is intended. It is not hidden that the first [interpretation] is more fitting for the context of a threat. The prepositional phrase is a future-oriented state (hal muqaddara), meaning: "They do not consume" anything that will result (in their bellies except fire), since the arrival into the belly is not simultaneous with the act of consuming. With this estimation, the weakness of preceding the state over the exception is repelled, and there is no need to say that it is connected to "consume" and intended as "by way of their bellies," as Abu al-Baqa’ chose. The restriction to "bellies" is to provide emphasis, as has been said. The state of being contained by the word "in" (fi), even if it does not necessitate the enclosure of the container by the contained, it has become common to use the container-ship of the belly for enclosure, just as it has become common to use the container-ship of a part for the whole, as in the saying: "Eat in some of your belly, you will be chaste, for your time is a time of famine."

(And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection), meaning, a speech of mercy, as al-Hasan said, so it does not contradict His—Glorified be He—questioning them. It has also been said: "He will not speak to them" at all, due to the intensity of His anger—Majestic is His Majesty—toward them, and the questioning will be through the angels. (And He will not purify them), meaning, He will not cleanse them of the filth of sins, or He will not praise them. (And for them is a painful punishment), i.e., causing pain.

These reports have been arranged according to meaning; because when He—Glorified be He—mentioned their purchasing with that small price—which was a metonymy for their wicked, perishable food—He began first in the report with His saying: (They consume into their bellies nothing but fire). Then He countered their concealment of the truth and their lack of speaking it with His saying: (And Allah will not speak to them). And upon their concealment and their purchasing with what Allah sent down a small price, it was established that they are false witnesses and evil scholars who harmed the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—with this false testimony and caused him pain; so they were requited with His—Glorified be He—saying: (And He will not purify them, and for them is a painful punishment). He began first with that which corresponds to each individual, and secondly with that which corresponds to the group.