Al-Baqarah · Madani · ayah 207 of 286

Al-Baqarah 2:207

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشْرِى نَفْسَهُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ رَءُوفٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ

“And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allāh. And Allāh is Kind to [His] servants.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Opposite the dazzling hypocrite stands one who sells himself for Allah's pleasure; the buyer is the Kind One, and the seller profits.

A reflection

You did not give to Him; He let you trade

At a charity dinner, a man makes the highest bid of the night. He spends the rest of the evening waiting for his name to be announced. When it is read out, he relaxes for the first time.

'Among people is one who sells himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah'. The verb yashrī here means to sell. The lexicons picture it as handing over one thing to hold another. Every choice is a purchase, and every purchase costs what you let go.

Then the ayah names the buyer: 'and Allah is Most Kind to His servants'. The word raʾūf has a tender picture in its root: a father bending over his child, with the softest care, unwilling to cause any pain. A concise commentary explains His kindness here. He guided His servants to what earns His pleasure.

This is majesty that turns the ego's arithmetic upside down. We imagine our sacrifices as gifts to Allah, as if He gained something. He gains nothing. He is free of all need (35:15). The one who sells himself to Him is the one who is enriched. The buyer pays far above any market price, out of kindness.

The man at the dinner wanted to be seen as generous. The seller in this ayah wants only one thing: to be pleasing to his Lord. He has stopped waiting for his name to be read out. He has learned who is really doing the giving.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.