Quran Universe
2:123

وَٱتَّقُواْ يَوۡمٗا لَّا تَجۡزِي نَفۡسٌ عَن نَّفۡسٖ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا يُقۡبَلُ مِنۡهَا عَدۡلٞ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَٰعَةٞ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنصَرُونَ

Waittaqoo yawman la tajzee nafsun AAan nafsin shayan wala yuqbalu minha AAadlun wala tanfaAAuha shafaAAatun wala hum yunsaroona

And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided.

Word by word
  1. وَٱتَّقُواْAnd fear
  2. يَوۡمٗاa day
  3. لَّاnot
  4. تَجۡزِيwill avail
  5. نَفۡسٌa soul
  6. عَن(of)
  7. نَّفۡسٖ(another) soul
  8. شَيۡـٔٗاanything
  9. وَلَاand not
  10. يُقۡبَلُwill be accepted
  11. مِنۡهَاfrom it
  12. عَدۡلٞany compensation
  13. وَلَاand not
  14. تَنفَعُهَاwill benefit it
  15. شَفَٰعَةٞany intercession
  16. وَلَاand not
  17. هُمۡthey
  18. يُنصَرُونَwill be helped
Al-Baqarah · 2:123Madinah

A Day when no one can stand in for you.

Every soul carries its own load

On that Day
no soul helps another
no ransom taken
no intercession helpsfor the deniers
no aid
What I lean on
my family name, my people
what I bring myself

Right after reminding them of favours, the verse turns to the Day of Judgement, echoing the warning from earlier in the surah. No soul will help another, no compensation will be taken, no intercession will benefit, no one will be helped. Favours in this life do not carry over by themselves.

In the exam hall, your parents cannot sit the paper for you. In the job interview, your cousin's connections stop at the door. On that Day, it is you and what you did. That is sobering, and it is also in your hands today.

My family and community will carry me through.

On that Day I stand alone with my deeds, so I prepare now.

Try this

Do one deed today purely for your own account with Allah, not for anyone watching.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 2:122)

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the nations) (122)And fear the Day (of Judgement) when no person shall avail another, nor shall compensation be accepted from him, nor shall intercession be of use to him, nor shall they be helped (123)

We mentioned a similar Ayah at the beginning of this Surah, and it is mentioned here to emphisize the importance of following the Ummi Prophet and Messenger, who is described for the People of the Scriptures in their Books by his characteristics, name, the good news about him and the description of his Ummah. Allah warned them against concealing this information, which is among the favors that Allah granted them. Allah also commanded them to remember their daily life and their religious affairs and how He blessed them. They should not envy their cousins, the Arabs, for what Allah has given them, the Final Messenger of Allah being an Arab. Envy should not incite them to oppose or deny the Prophet or refrain from following him, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him until the Day of Judgment.