Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 254 (2:254)

ٱلْبَقَرَة

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌ لَّا …

Quran 2:254 is ayah 254 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 3, on page 42 of the Madani Mushaf.

2:254
يَٰٓأَيُّهَاٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوٓا۟أَنفِقُوا۟مِمَّارَزَقْنَٰكُممِّنقَبْلِأَنيَأْتِىَيَوْمٌلَّابَيْعٌفِيهِوَلَاخُلَّةٌوَلَاشَفَٰعَةٌ ۗوَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَهُمُٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ٢٥٤
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū anfiqū mimmā razaqnākum min qabli an yatiya yawmun lā bayʿun fīhi walā khullatun walā shafāʿatun wal-kāfirūna humu l-ẓālimūna

O you who have believed, spend from that which We have provided for you before there comes a Day in which there is no exchange [i.e., ransom] and no friendship and no intercession. And the disbelievers - they are the wrongdoers.(254)

Word by word

  1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhāO you
  2. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnawho
  3. ءَامَنُوٓا۟āmanūbelieve[d]
  4. أَنفِقُوا۟anfiqūSpend
  5. مِمَّاmimmāof what
  6. رَزَقْنَٰكُمrazaqnākumWe (have) provided you
  7. مِّنminfrom
  8. قَبْلِqablibefore
  9. أَنanthat
  10. يَأْتِىَyatiyacomes
  11. يَوْمٌyawmuna Day
  12. لَّاlāno
  13. بَيْعٌbayʿunbargaining
  14. فِيهِfīhiin it
  15. وَلَاwalāand no
  16. خُلَّةٌkhullatunfriendship
  17. وَلَاwalāand no
  18. شَفَٰعَةٌ ۗshafāʿatunintercession
  19. وَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَwal-kāfirūnaAnd the deniers
  20. هُمُhumuthey
  21. ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَl-ẓālimūna(are) the wrongdoers

Tafsir (commentary) of 2:254

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

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,

مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌ

(before a Day comes) meaning, the Day of Resurrection,

لاَّ بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلاَ خُلَّةٌ وَلاَ شَفَـعَةٌ

(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,

فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى الصُّورِ فَلاَ أَنسَـبَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلاَ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ

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

وَلاَ شَفَـعَةٌ

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

Allah's statement,

وَالْكَـفِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ

(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,

وَالْكَـفِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ

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

Read the full Surah Al-Baqarah