The Guiding Light — Page 337
S u rah al-Baqarah, Verse 255-258 337 The words, wherein there shall be no buying and selling , do not mean that there will be no trade and commerce on the Day of Judgement, but that on that great day nobody will be able to buy salvation, which will depend only on one’s good works coupled with God’s grace. The only buying or selling that will be of avail to men on the Day of Judgement will be that which they shall have made in their present life (9:111). The words, nor friendship , signify that there will be no occasion for forming new friendships on that day. Those, however, who will have taken God as their friend in their life on this earth will certainly benefit by that friendship. It is to this fact that the Qur’ a n refers when it says: Friends on that day shall be foes to one another, except the God- fearing (43:68). The righteous have God as their friend, and He will continue to be their friend on the Day of Judgement. The concept of ﺷﻔﺎﻋﺘ ( shaf a ‘at) intercession has been discussed in the commentary of verse 49, chapter 2 of the