Surah Al-Baqarah 2:48
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 48 of 286
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًۭا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍۢ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَٰعَةٌۭ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌۭ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
Translation
Guard yourselves against a Day when no soul will stand in place of another, no intercession will be accepted for it, nor any ransom; nor will they be helped.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'And fear a Day when no soul will avail another at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will ransom be taken, nor will they be helped.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note the total, radical individuality of that accounting, no one covers for another, no connection buys leverage, no wealth ransoms, no ally intervenes without God's leave. Ask yourself: my whole worldly security is built on the opposite, on relationships that cover for me, influence that pulls strings, money that buys my way out, allies who intervene. This verse pictures the one situation where every one of those fails absolutely, and I stand utterly alone with my own record. It is sobering, but clarifying: since none of my safety-nets will hold there, the only wise preparation is my own relationship with God, my own deeds. What am I relying on to 'help me' that this verse says will be worth nothing on the Day it matters most?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, Ibn Kathir.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:48 is discussed in 5 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
- Recompense (Jaza) (key verse)
- Intercession (Shafa'ah) (key verse)
- The Self (Nafs)
- Victory (Nasr)
- Justice (Adl)
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Baqarah 2:48 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.