وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَٰعَةٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
“And guard (yourselves) against a day when no soul will in aught avail another, nor will compensation be accepted from it, nor will intercession be of use to it; nor will they be helped.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, this verse is a threat and warning directed at the Children of Israel, whom Allah had previously admonished in an earlier verse. The verse commands them to beware of the punishment of a day when no soul shall benefit another soul, when ransom shall not be accepted, when intercession shall have no effect, and when there shall be no helpers, in the case that they alter Allah's book, distort it, and deny Prophet Muhammad while dying in that state.
يقول الله لهم: واتقوا يا معشر بني إسرائيل المبدلين كتابي وتنزيلي، المحرفين تأويله عن وجهه، المكذبين برسولي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، عذاب يوم لا تقضي فيه نفس عن نفس شيئا، ولا تغني عنها غناء
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the concept of 'ransom' encompasses everything a person can give to save themselves, such as faith, repentance, and wealth. Since the verse announces that ransom shall never be accepted, and since repentance is a type of ransom, this situation indicates that the acceptance of repentance by reason is not obligatory—in other words, contrary to the view of the Mu'tazila, Allah's acceptance of repentance is not rationally necessary.
واعلم أن الفدية ما يفتدى به فهو يتناول الإيمان والتوبة والمال ، وهذا يدل على أن قبول التوبة غير واجب عقلا على ما تقوله المعتزلة لأنه تعالى بين أنه لا يقبل الفدية أصلا والتوبة فدية
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kesîr states that the word 'adl' in the verse means 'fidâ' (ransom). While supporting this view with narrations transmitted from Abu Malik, Hasan, Said ibn Jubayr, Katâda, and Rabî' ibn Anes, he also mentions another view narrated from Ali, stating 'sarf and adl are supererogatory and obligatory'; however, he finds this second view strange in this context and emphasizes that the first interpretation is more apparent in exegesis. To strengthen this, he also transmits a hadith in which when the Prophet was asked 'what is adl?' he answered 'adl is ransom'.
وهذا القول غريب ههنا والقول الأول أظهر في تفسير هذه الآية وقد ورد حديث يقويه
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
Baydâwî states in this verse that the command to remember the blessings mentioned at the beginning of the story of the Children of Israel, to fulfill their rights, to refrain from wasting blessings, and to fear the terror of the Day of Judgment is repeated here. He says that this repetition carries the meaning of insistence in admonition by concluding the speech with these expressions, and points out that this is the essence of the story, its true purpose.
لما صدر قصتهم بالأمر بذكر النعم، والقيام بحقوقها، والحذر من إضاعتها، والخوف من الساعة وأهوالها، كرر ذلك وختم به الكلام معهم مبالغة في النصح، وإيذانا بأنه فذلكة القضية والمقصود من القصة.
Comparison
Common ground
Most of the exegetes view the verse as connected to the previous verse addressing the Children of Israel and accept that it carries the nature of a warning and repetition; Râzî and Ibn Kesîr also overlap in their view that the word 'adl' (ransom) means the consideration that a person can give to save themselves.
Differences
While Taberî and Baydâwî approach the verse from a contextual and literary perspective, focusing on its connection to the previous verse and the repetition of admonition, Ibn Kesîr grounds the meaning of the word 'adl' with the views of the Companions and followers using transmitted material. Râzî, on the other hand, elevates the verse to a theological discussion, arguing that the concept of ransom also encompasses repentance and uses this to refute the Mu'tazila's view of rational necessity; this difference in approach shows that Taberî and Ibn Kesîr are more transmission and context-oriented, while Râzî relies on a theological-argumentative method.
Historical context
Taberî's early period reading centered on narrations and context continued in Ibn Kesîr in a narration-dominant manner; however, the later theological-philosophical method represented by Râzî deepened the same verse by making it material for inter-denominational discussions. Baydâwî, within a concise exegetical tradition, continued contextual reading by simplifying it; while the basic meaning remained stable, the vehicle of interpretation became richer.
Modern connection
This verse can remind us that a person cannot transfer their responsibility to someone else, that no consideration or intermediary can replace sincere effort and sincerity. In today's context, this may open a door to a cautious reflection on the importance of employing both knowledge and conscience together, on observing what is right, and on maintaining admonition with patience and the understanding of repeated reminders.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar