Surat Al A`raf: (168-169)

{وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ أُمَماً مِّنْهُمُ الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَبَلَوْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ} [الأعراف: 168]

168- We have scattered the Jews on earth and made them sects and groups; of them are the good believers who follow the Messengers and of them are the lewd disbelievers who disagree with the Messengers.

We have tested them with fertility and good health one time and with dryness and adversity another time so as to go back to the obedience of their Lord and cease from what they have been commanded to do.

{فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُواْ الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـذَا الأدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَن لاَّ يِقُولُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُواْ مَا فِيهِ وَالدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ} [الأعراف: 169]

169- Then, another generation came after them who inherited the Torah from their fathers, but they used to take bribes for unjust rulings and attributed them to Torah. Moreover, they falsified and distorted Torah according to their whims and corrupt ideas without paying attention to lawful and prohibition or the truth and falsehood. All was important to them is money and worldly benefits then they would say after those terrible actions: Surely, Allah shall forgive us and will not punish us! However, if a bargain came to them thereafter, they would go back to their first condition because of their keenness to the world, insistence on committing sins, and their lie in asking for forgiveness without showing repentance or giving up sins.

Were not a covenant and a promise taken from them that they should not attribute lies to Allah and only say truthful things and explain the Torah to the people as it is without addition or omission?! They have studied the Torah and knew that for sure. Surely, asking for the reward in the Hereafter is better than a casual worldly benefit for those who fear Allah and His Punishment; do not you understand this to take a lesson and to know that the everlasting bliss is better than the painful torment.