Quran Universe
2:254

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَ يَوۡمٞ لَّا بَيۡعٞ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٞ وَلَا شَفَٰعَةٞۗ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo anfiqoo mimma razaqnakum min qabli an yatiya yawmun la bayAAun feehi wala khullatun wala shafaAAatun waalkafiroona humu alththalimoona

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 and no friendship and no intercession. And the disbelievers - they are the wrongdoers.

Word by word
  1. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO you
  2. ٱلَّذِينَwho
  3. ءَامَنُوٓاْbelieve [d]
  4. أَنفِقُواْSpend
  5. مِمَّاof what
  6. رَزَقۡنَٰكُمWe (have) provided you
  7. مِّنfrom
  8. قَبۡلِbefore
  9. أَنthat
  10. يَأۡتِيَcomes
  11. يَوۡمٞa Day
  12. لَّاno
  13. بَيۡعٞbargaining
  14. فِيهِin it
  15. وَلَاand no
  16. خُلَّةٞfriendship
  17. وَلَاand no
  18. شَفَٰعَةٞۗintercession
  19. وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَAnd the deniers
  20. هُمُthey
  21. ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ(are) the wrongdoers
Al-Baqarah · 2:254Madinah

Spend now. A Day is coming with no deals and no connections.

The window to give closes

What will not work on that Day
no bargainingnot even earth of gold
no friendshipno one to call
no intercessionno one vouching
so
spend todayfrom what He gave
When to give
later, when I am settledthere will be time
before that Daythe window is now

Ibn Kathir says Allah tells believers to rush to spend in this life, before a Day when no one can ransom himself even with the earth's fill of gold, and friendship and relations will not help. He links it to 23:101: no kinship that Day.

You know a guy who can get you in anywhere. Your cousin sorts every problem. Your card has a high limit. None of that works on that Day. What you gave from it today does.

I will give generously once I have more saved up.

Today is the only time giving still counts; on that Day nothing can be bought.

Try this

Give something today from this month's money, not from some future surplus.

Related23:101
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

O you who believe! Spend of that with which We have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession. And it is the disbelievers who are the wrongdoers (254)

Allah commands His servants to spend for His sake, in the path of righteousness, from what He has granted them, so that they acquire and keep the reward of this righteous deed with their Lord and King. Let them rush to perform this deed in this life,

مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ

(before a Day comes) meaning, the Day of Resurrection,

 لَّا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَاعَةٌ

(when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession.)

This Ayah indicates that on that Day, no one will be able to bargain on behalf of himself or ransom himself with any amount, even if it was the earth's fill of gold; nor will his friendship or relation to anyone benefit him. Similarly, Allah said,

فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَلَا أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَاءَلُونَ

(Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another)[23:101]

وَلَا شَفَاعَةٌ

(Nor intercession) meaning, they will not benefit by the intercession of anyone.

Allah's statement,

وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

(and it is the disbelievers who are the wrongdoers) indicates that no injustice is worse than meeting Allah on that Day while a disbeliever. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that 'Ata' bin Dinar said, "All thanks are due to Allah Who said,

وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

(and it is the disbelievers who are the wrongdoers) but did not say, 'And it is the wrongdoers who are the disbelievers.'"