Verse 281 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as the concluding statement of the preceding verses concerning usury and debt, summons humanity with profound and cautionary expression to embrace piety in anticipation of the Day of Resurrection. This verse holds a distinguished position within Surah Al-Baqarah by emphasising absolute divine justice and the full settlement of all beings' rights. The language of the verse is resolute and admonitory, employing passive and absent verbs to underscore the impartiality and severity of the divine reckoning system. This exegesis, adopting an academic and scholarly perspective, endeavours to elucidate the concepts embedded within the verse and, through the integration of lectures and detailed analyses, seeks to illuminate its philosophical, jurisprudential, and ethical dimensions for specialised audiences. The content herein faithfully encompasses all details and points raised in the lectures and supplementary analyses, presented in a refined and systematic manner.
Verse 281 serves as the conclusion to the verses on usury (275279) and debt (280), and with a comprehensive scope, calls all humans and beings to piety in the face of the Day of Resurrection. Beyond financial matters, this verse emphasises accountability for all actions under divine justice.
Verse 281 of Surah Al-Baqarah, with a coherent structure and concise language, encompasses three principal themes: the call to piety (وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا), the return to God (تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ), and the complete settlement of the rights of deeds (تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ). The conclusion, emphasising divine justice (وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ), negates any suspicion of injustice within the system of the Hereafter. The use of passive and absent verbs accentuates the impersonal and impartial nature of the divine auditing system, as if an exact scale discharges rights without interference from emotions or relations.
The word اتَّقُوا, derived from the root وقى, denotes steadfastness and protection against peril. It summons the human being to vigilance regarding the Day of Resurrection, described by the verse as a decisive and inevitable moment. Here, piety encompasses not only abstention from sin but preparedness to confront divine justice. Just as a traveller prepares for their destination before departure, so too must one prepare for the Day of Reckoning through piety.
The term يَوْمًا refers to a specific and finite day that, unlike ordinary days, lacks night or darkness. This temporal container is brief yet momentous, marking the instant when all beings are returned to God. The transient nature of يوم indicates its finitude and transition to the phase of recompense, as though a lightning flash guiding the cosmos towards accountability.
The verse, with a firm and threatening tone, calls all beings to fear the Day of Resurrection. This warning is all-encompassing, admitting no exceptions, not even for believers or prophets.
The word تُوَفَّىٰ, derived from the root وفى, signifies the full discharge of a right. Its passive structure emphasises the impartial fulfilment of the rights of all beings. The phrase كُلُّ نَفْسٍ encompasses all sentient beings humans, jinn, animals, and even apparently inanimate entities such as the earth and stones. The phrase مَا كَسَبَتْ refers to all deeds, whether good or evil, conscious or unconscious. This inclusivity portrays the divine auditing system as a precise scale that leaves no right neglected.
The phrase وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ, constructed in the passive and absent form, asserts the total absence of injustice in the divine system. It conceptually connects with verse 279 (لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ), where debtors and creditors are warned neither to oppress nor to be oppressed. Verse 281 emphasises absolute divine justice, wherein no one suffers injustice. This justice is like a polished mirror reflecting all deeds perfectly and without deficiency.
The word ثُمَّ not only denotes chronological order but also symbolises a divine intermediary in the fulfilment of rights. This intermediary, likened to a "masked figure," represents complete impartiality, devoid of any emotional or personal relation. It is as though ثُمَّ acts like an impartial judge who, with the scale of justice, fulfils rights without any possibility of pleading or mediation.
Verse 281, through the emphasis on وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ, categorically negates any injustice within the system of the Hereafter. This justice, like an exact scale, settles all rights without leniency or charity.
The expression كُلُّ نَفْسٍ is broadly inclusive, covering not only humans but all beings possessing awareness or impact. This inclusivity aligns with verses such as وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا (Az-Zalzalah: 2) and يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا (Az-Zalzalah: 4), which refer to the earth and objects bearing witness on the Day of Resurrection. Earth, stones, plants, and animals will all be accounted for as though existence itself speaks before the divine scale of justice.
The verse underscores the principle that each individual is accountable for their own deeds, and no one can evade the consequences thereof. The phrase مَا كَسَبَتْ includes all deeds, whether good or evil, and no action, however insignificant, escapes divine auditing. This responsibility accompanies the individual like an inseparable shadow.
Although verse 281 does not explicitly mention usury, as the concluding statement on the verses regarding usury (275279) and debt (280), it summarises preceding discussions. Verse 280 recommends almsgiving (charity) as a commendable act, but verse 281, focusing on absolute justice, rejects any concession. It situates usury and debt within the broader framework of divine justice, emphasising the full fulfilment of rights between creditor and debtor.
While repentance is accepted from a juridical standpoint, its practical consequences such as the restitution of others rights are inescapable. The verse, through the phrase تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ, indicates that repentance cannot nullify material or moral rights owed to others. In metaphorical terms, repentance is the key that unlocks the door of sin, yet compensation is the bridge that must be crossed.
Although repentance erases sin juridically, the fulfilment of others rights, especially financial matters such as usury, remains obligatory and inseparable from divine justice.
The existence of the Resurrection, as the "best system," is indispensable for the eradication of worldly injustices. Without it, the world would abound in injustice, as many rights remain unfulfilled during this temporal life. Verse 281, by emphasising full settlement of rights, elucidates the Resurrections necessity as the complement to divine justice. The Resurrection acts as a mirror reflecting all worldly deficiencies and consummating justice.
Even the Prophets, due to their profound awareness of the severity of divine justice, harbour fear of the Day of Resurrection. This fear stems from their deep understanding of the system of recompense and accountability. They, like immovable mountains, tremble before this immense reality, let alone ordinary humans who are more vulnerable to faults.
The text calls for reconsideration of interpretative methods within religious sciences and stresses the distinction between colloquial and scientific discourse. Scientific literature, akin to a clear stream, must avoid ambiguity or oversimplification and must elucidate Quranic concepts with precision and depth. This critique is an invitation to elevate the level of religious knowledge and employ systematic methods in exegesis.
Judgement, due to its complexity and sensitivity, is described as one of the most hazardous professions. Judges are subject to human error and may commit injustice due to ignorance. This issue, like a double-edged sword, demands meticulousness and caution so as not to distort justice.
Admonition and counselling should primarily target personal reform rather than others, since admonishing others may lead to hardness of heart. Metaphorically, a person must first cultivate their own inner garden before instructing others.
Piety and self-purification are prerequisites for preparedness on the Day of Resurrection. One must reform their own soul to face the scale of divine justice.
Verse 281 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like an illuminating beacon, guides humanity towards piety and readiness for the Day of Resurrection. With firm and impartial language, it emphasises absolute divine justice and depicts the system of reckoning on that day as an exact scale that neglects no right. The intertwined concepts of piety, return, fulfilment, and justice summon humans to accountability for their deeds. The verses inclusivity, covering all beings, and its emphasis on the absence of concession or charity, reflect the severity and decisiveness of the resurrection system. The critique of interpretative methods and social responsibilities invites reconsideration within religious sciences and enhancement of religious awareness. This verse calls humanity to reflect on their actions and prepare for the Day of Reckoning a day when no one is exempt from divine justice and all rights are meticulously fulfilled.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
