'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, exalted and majestic is He: ﴿O you who have believed, spend from that which We have provided you before a Day comes in which there will be no exchange, nor any friendship, nor intercession. And the disbelievers—they are the wrongdoers.﴾ Ibn Jurayj said: This verse encompasses both zakah and voluntary spending. This is correct, for zakah is obligatory, and voluntary spending is recommended. The apparent meaning of this verse is that it refers to all forms of righteousness: from good deeds, maintaining family ties. However, what has preceded in the verses regarding fighting and that Allah defends the believers in the hearts of the disbelievers indicates that this recommendation is indeed in the way of Allah. This is further supported by His saying at the end of the verse: ﴿And the disbelievers—they are the wrongdoers.﴾ That is, fight them with combat and by spending wealth. Allah, exalted is He, has encouraged in this verse spending something from what He has bestowed. This is the utmost of generosity in action and words. And He warned, exalted is He, against withholding until a Day comes when there will be no possibility of buying or selling, nor making up for spending in the way of Allah, as it is a transaction based on what we have explained in His saying, exalted is He: ﴿Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan?﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 245] or when the sale is a ransom, for a person may buy his soul and his desires with his wealth. It is as if the meaning of the verse is similar to the meaning of other verses that imply no ransom on the Day of Resurrection. And Allah, exalted is He, has informed that friendship will also be absent on that Day. The meaning is: a beneficial friendship that necessitates cooperation, as it was in this world. The people of piety will have friendship among them on that Day, but it will not be necessary for them. The friendship of others will not avail them anything from Allah. And Allah, exalted is He, has informed that intercession will also be nonexistent on that Day. Al-Tabari interpreted this in terms of the generality of the wording and the specificity of the meaning, and that the intended meaning is: 'and there is no intercession for the disbelievers.' This is not needed, rather the known intercession in this world, which is the intercessor's request and his authority over the one being interceded for, will be completely lifted on the Day of Resurrection. Rather, intercession will only exist by the permission of Allah, exalted is He. Its reality is a mercy from Allah, exalted is He, but He has honored the one whom He has permitted to intercede. What is absent is like the state of this world regarding buying, friendship, and intercession. Ibn Kathir and Abu Amr read: 'no exchange in it, nor friendship, nor intercession' in the accusative, in all of that without tanween. Likewise in Surah Ibrahim: 'no exchange in it, nor friendship.' And in Surah At-Tur: 'no idle talk in it, nor sin.' The rest of the reciters read all of that in the nominative with tanween. And 'the wrongdoers' are those who place something in other than its proper place. And 'Ata ibn Dinar said: Praise be to Allah who said: ﴿And the disbelievers—they are the wrongdoers.﴾ and did not say: 'the wrongdoers—they are the disbelievers.'