Al-Baqarah · Madani · ayah 254 of 286

Al-Baqarah 2:254

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌ لَّا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةٌ ۗ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ

“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.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Spend from what Allah has provided, now, before a Day with no trade, no friendship, and no intercession except by His leave.

A reflection

What We provided you

For thirty years a man's name stood in steel letters across the front of the company he built. Two months after his funeral, the new owners had the letters taken down. The sign-maker charged by the letter.

The ayah begins with a short phrase that carries a large claim: 'spend from what We have provided you'. Not 'from what you have earned' or 'from your wealth'. From what We provided. The root of rizq pictures a soldier's ration handed out on its day, or a bird dropping food into its chick's mouth. Provision is something given, at its appointed time, by Someone else.

A classical theologian draws out what follows. A person comes to that Day alone, with nothing of what he gathered in this world. He cites: 'You have certainly come to Us alone as We created you the first time' (6:94). The same ayah goes on: they have left behind whatever was bestowed on them.

That is majesty aimed straight at the ego of ownership. We speak of 'my money', 'my house', 'my company'. The ayah gently corrects the pronoun. It was provided. It will be left. The only part that travels is the part given away.

Does Allah need us to admit He provided it? He is free of all need (35:15). We need to admit it. A person who knows his wealth was a ration handed out will find it much easier to hand some of it on.

The full entry has 7 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.