Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:281

"And fear a day wherein you will be returned..."

"And fear a day" — which is the Day of Resurrection, or the day of death. Its indetermination serves the purpose of magnification, as is the attachment of the imperative of 'fear' to it; this is for the sake of hyperbole in warning against the hardships contained within that day, which would make children gray-haired.

"Wherein you will be returned" — recited in the passive voice derived from al-raj’ (returning). It has also been read in the active voice derived from al-ruju’ (to return); the former is more profound, as it has been said, in terms of terrifying impact. It was also read as "they will be returned" (yurja’un) by way of transition (iltifat). Ubayy read it as "you will be patient" (tatsbirun), and Abdullah read it as "you will be brought back" (turadun).

"To Allah" — that is, to His judgment and His verdict.

"Then every soul will be paid in full" — meaning, given completely.

"What it has earned" — whether good or evil; meaning the recompense for that, if it is good then [the reward is] good, and if it is evil then [the punishment is] evil. Kasb (earning) is action, of whatever nature, as the language attests and the reports indicate. The Kasb (acquisition) of the Ash’ari [school] is not understood by anyone other than the Ash’arites.

"And they will not be wronged."

This is a circumstantial clause (jumlah haliyyah) pertaining to "every soul." It is pluralized in consideration of the meaning, while the pronoun was previously singular in consideration of the wording. Consideration of the wording was placed first because it is the root, and because the consideration of meaning occurred at the end of a verse-ending (fasilah), so delaying it was better. You could also say that the plural is more appropriate for what occurs on that day, just as the singular is more appropriate when it precedes it.

Many authorities have narrated through various chains from Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them both—that the verse "And fear a day..." is the last of what was revealed of the Quran. There is a difference of opinion regarding the duration of [the Prophet's] remaining after it: it is said nine nights, seven days, three hours, twenty-one days, or eighty-one days; then he died—may my soul be sacrificed for him, living and dead, blessings and peace be upon him.

It is narrated that he said: "Place it between the verse of usury and the verse of debt." In another narration, he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: "Gabriel came to me and said: 'Place it after two hundred and eighty verses of Al-Baqarah'."

The report from Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them both—that this is the last verse revealed does not conflict with what Al-Bukhari, Abu Ubayd, Ibn Jarir, and Al-Bayhaqi recorded through the chain of Al-Sha’bi from him, that he said: "The last verse Allah Almighty revealed to His Messenger—blessings and peace be upon him—was the verse of usury." The same applies to what Al-Bayhaqi recorded through the chain of Ibn al-Musayyib from Umar ibn al-Khattab, as stated by Muhammad ibn Salamah in what Ali ibn Ahmad al-Karbasi reported from him: that what is intended by this is that the last of the verses revealed regarding trade was the verse of usury, or that it is among the last of what was revealed, as is made explicit by what Imam Ahmad recorded.