Surah 2

Surah 2:254

"You who believe! Contribute from what We have provided you, before a Day comes when (there will be) no bargaining, and no friendship, and no intercession. The disbelievers – they are the evildoers."
Tafsir Ibn Kathir Verses 2:254
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Verse 254

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَ يَوۡمٞ لَّا بَيۡعٞ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٞ وَلَا شَفَٰعَةٞۗ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ

You who believe! Contribute from what We have provided you, before a Day comes when (there will be) no bargaining, and no friendship, and no intercession. The disbelievers – they are the evildoers.

Allah commands His servants to spend for His sake, in the path of righteousness, from what He has granted them, so that they acquire and keep the reward of this righteous deed with their Lord and King. Let them rush to perform this deed in this life,

before a Day comes} meaning, the Day of Resurrection,

when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession.}

This Ayah indicates that on that Day, no one will be able to bargain on behalf of himself or ransom himself with any amount, even if it was the earth's fill of gold; nor will his friendship or relation to anyone benefit him. Similarly, Allah said,

Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another} [23:101].

Nor intercession} meaning, they will not benefit by the intercession of anyone.

Allah's statement,

and it is the disbelievers who are the wrongdoers}

indicates that no injustice is worse than meeting Allah on that Day while a disbeliever. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that 'Ata' bin Dinar said, "All thanks are due to Allah Who said,

and it is the disbelievers who are the wrongdoers}

but did not say, 'And it is the wrongdoers who are the disbelievers.'"

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.