يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌ لَّا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةٌ ۗ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ 254
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu anfiquu mimma razaqnakum min qabli an ya'tiya yawmun la bay'un fihi wa la khullatun wa la shafa'atun wal-kafiruna hum al-zalimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the believers to spend from the sustenance Allah has provided them before the Day of Judgment arrives, when no transaction, friendship, nor intercession will benefit anyone. Ibn Kathir explains that this serves as a powerful motivation for charity, emphasizing the temporary nature of worldly wealth and the eternal consequences of our actions. Al-Qurtubi notes that the three things mentioned—no buying/selling, no friendship, and no intercession—represent the complete severance of worldly relationships and transactions on the Day of Judgment, highlighting that only righteous deeds will matter.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Baqarah's discussion on charity and spending in the way of Allah, revealed during the Medinan period when the Muslim community was establishing itself. The broader context emphasizes the obligation of zakat and voluntary spending (infaq) as fundamental Islamic principles, contrasting believers' responsibility with the disbelievers' ultimate loss on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best charity is that given when one is in need yet gives' (related in various sources). Also relevant: 'Wealth and children are adornments of life, but the everlasting good deeds are better' (Surah Al-Kahf 18:46), emphasizing that material possessions are temporary compared to righteous deeds.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that true wealth lies in our righteous deeds and generosity, not in material accumulation, since all worldly connections and transactions will become meaningless on the Day of Judgment. It motivates immediate action in charitable giving, using the urgency of death and the afterlife as powerful catalysts for spiritual transformation in our daily lives.