وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَٰعَةٌ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
“And guard yourselves against a day when no soul will in aught avail another, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be received from it, nor will they be helped.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, this verse explains that on the Day of Judgment, no soul can benefit another soul, and no one can pay or compensate anything for anyone else. The possibilities of mutual aid, intercession, and ransom that exist in this world will completely disappear on that day; neither father can benefit son nor son can benefit father. Taberî also explains the meaning of the verb 'la teczî' as 'la tuğnî' (does not benefit, is insufficient) and substantiates this through linguistic analysis and by evaluating different grammatical views.
وأما المعنى في قوله: فإنه تحذير من الله تعالى ذكره عباده الذين خاطبهم بهذه الآية عقوبته أن تحل بهم يوم القيامة، وهو اليوم الذي لا تجزي فيه نفس عن نفس شيئا، ولا يجزي فيه والد عن ولده، ولا مولود هو جاز عن والده شيئا.
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
Zemahşerî indicates in this passage that the demonstrative 'ulâike' (those) refers to those who take their religion as play and amusement; according to some reports, this verse was revealed concerning the incident where Abdurrahman, the son of Abû Bakr, called him to worship idols. Furthermore, it is explained that the pronoun in the text refers to the word 'mevâlî' (patrons/allies), because this word is semantically plural and through ambiguity and generality encompasses each patron.
قيل : نزلت في أبي بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه حين دعاه ابنه عبد الرحمن إلى عبادة الأوثان
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the concept of 'mevlâ' (patron/ally) mentioned in the verse refers to a person from whom help is expected on the basis of religious proximity, blood relationship, or manumission ties; the fact that even these will not benefit on that day indicates more powerfully that others will not benefit at all. Moreover, the verse depicts the terror of that Day by framing it with the phrase 'beware of the Day of Judgment,' and it is explained by comparison to the custom of the Arabs, when someone falls into calamity, first seeking the aid of relatives, then intercession, then ransom. Râzî further notes that the expression 'no soul pays anything for another soul' means that one person cannot bear another's punishment, and aid is an effort to save from punishment.
أي ليس لهم ناصر ، والمعنى أن الذي يتوقع منه النصرة إما القريب في الدين أو في النسب أو المعتق ، وكل هؤلاء يسمون بالمولى ، فلما لم تحصل النصرة منهم فبأن لا تحصل ممن سواهم أولى
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, this verse was revealed in response to the Children of Israel claiming that they were Allah's sons and beloved, and that their forefathers would intercede for them on the Day of Judgment; Allah informed them that on the Day of Judgment intercession would not be accepted and ransom would not be taken. The specific mention of intercession, ransom, and aid is because these are the main ways people are accustomed to using in this world to be freed from hardship. Furthermore, it is noted that the expression 'la tuczî' means that no soul will be held responsible for another soul's sin and will not be able to avert anything from it.
وكان سبب هذه الآية فيما ذكروا أن بني إسرائيل قالوا : نحن أبناء الله وأحباؤه وأبناء أنبيائه وسيشفع لنا أباؤنا فأعلمهم الله تعالى عن يوم القيامة أنه لا تقبل فيه الشفاعات ولا يؤخذ فيه فدية
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, this verse explains that on the Day of Judgment, no one can benefit anyone else; neither ransom, nor substitute, nor intercession will be accepted. On that day, kinship, prestige, favoritism, bribery, and mutual aid completely disappear; judgment belongs only to the Just Mighty One (Allah), and He repays evil with its like and good manifold.
بطلت هنالك المحاباة واضمحلت الرشى والشفاعات وارتفع من القوم التناصر والتعاون وصار الحكم إلى الجبار العدل الذي لا ينفع لديه الشفعاء والنصراء فيجزي بالسيئة مثلها وبالحسنة أضعافها
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, the verse informs that on that day no soul can pay any right or punishment on behalf of another soul, intercession will not be accepted, ransom will not be taken, and no one will be helped. This is a general negation that punishment from one person cannot be averted in any way (neither by force nor by intercession nor by ransom) on behalf of another. The Mu'tazilites brought this verse as evidence for negating intercession for those who commit major sins, but it was answered by stating that the verse is specific to disbelievers, the address is directed at them, and the verse was revealed to refute the claim of the Jews that their forefathers would intercede for them.
وقد تمسكت المعتزلة بهذه الآية على نفي الشفاعة لأهل الكبائر، وأجيب بأنها مخصوصة بالكفار للآيات والأحاديث الواردة في الشفاعة، ويؤيده أن الخطاب معهم، والآية نزلت ردا لما كانت اليهود تزعم أن آباءهم تشفع لهم.
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes unite on the fundamental message that no soul can benefit another on the Day of Judgment, and that intercession, ransom, and mutual aid will become ineffective on that day. Taberî, Kurtubî, Ibn Kesîr, and Beydâvî explicitly emphasize these three elements together and point to the fact that these are the ways people are accustomed to using in this world to be freed from hardship. Moreover, most exegetes (Taberî, Râzî, Kurtubî) commonly note through linguistic analysis that the expression 'la teczî/la tuczî' means 'does not benefit, is insufficient,' and nearly all use both linguistic/rhetorical analysis and transmitted reports together.
Differences
While Zemahşerî and Kurtubî attach the verse to specific causes of revelation (Zemahşerî: the incident of Abû Bakr's son; Kurtubî: the claim of the Children of Israel that their forefathers would intercede), Taberî, Ibn Kesîr, and Beydâvî treat the verse as more of a general depiction of the Day of Judgment. Zemahşerî further discusses linguistically the referent of the pronoun (its reference to the word 'mevâlî'), while Râzî analyzes different semantic layers of the concept 'mevlâ' (religion, kinship, manumission) by constructing a logic of analogy (if even close ones cannot benefit, how could others?). Beydâvî's distinction is that he engages in a theological discussion in response to the Mu'tazilites bringing this verse as evidence for negating intercession for major sinners, emphasizing that the verse is specific to disbelievers—this is not distinctly present in the other exegetes in this way. Ibn Kesîr's emphasis, by focusing on Allah's justice (repaying evil with its like and good manifold), presents a somewhat different moral-theological framework from the others.
Historical context
Between the earliest period exegete Taberî (predominantly transmitted exegesis, supported by linguistic analysis) and the later exegete Beydâvî, the fundamental interpretation remained constant, yet the methodological depth and sphere of discussion expanded. The trend toward linguistic-rhetorical subtleties beginning with Zemahşerî (Mu'tazilite) transformed into theological discussions in Râzî (within an Ash'arite framework regarding the scope of the concept 'mevlâ'), and in Beydâvî it manifested as a direct Mu'tazilite-Ahl al-Sunnah contention. Exegetes like Kurtubî and Ibn Kesîr, who were more report-centered and hadith-focused, continued the earlier methodology (the Taberî line) by giving more place to causes of revelation and views of earlier scholars. This shows that the tafsir tradition expanded over time from linguistic analysis toward theological discussion, yet the core message of the verse that 'no aid will benefit on the Day of Judgment' remained constant throughout the periods.
Modern connection
This verse can remind contemporary people that worldly bonds—such as position, wealth, lineage, or connections—are not in themselves lasting security, and that true value is hidden in one's own effort and sincerity. Social solidarity and mutual aid are certainly valuable in worldly life, but this verse offers an opportunity for self-awareness that the individual should not hand over their own responsibility to another. Furthermore, the different emphases of the exegetes serve as a constructive example of how a text can address various questions in different periods while preserving its fundamental message.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar