Discover the meaning of the term Shuf'a (شفعة) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readIt is the compulsory taking of the share, against indemnity, for him holding partnership or neighbourhood right over the buyer.
Lexically, with damma, passive sense, from ach-chaf’, the pair, as al-akla from akl. And chaf’ is the opposite of the odd one; the Prophet’s shafa’a, for it joins sinners to the saved. In Hall ar-Roumouz: ach-chouf’a is a verbal noun with damma in passive sense from their saying: « this was alone and I paired it with another, made it its mate »: originally a name for the joined property, with no known verb. In the faqihs’ tongue: the chafi’ sold the house he is attached to, that is, it may be taken by chouf’a. In al-’Ayni’s commentary of Kanz ad-Daqa’iq: chouf’a in the tongue is from ach-chaf’, the pair, opposite the single: the man paired when he…
Lexically: joining; hence ach-chaf’ in prayer: joining one rak’a to another. Ach-chaf’: the pair opposite the single. The chafi’: he who joins his plea to that of the one he intercedes for, seeking success. The Prophet’s shafa’a for sinners, joining them to the righteous; and chouf’a in realty, joining the seller’s property to the chafi’’s.
A compulsory ownership right, against indemnity, established for the former partner over the newcomer.
Among the faqihs: the taking of the property by force over its buyer, by him holding a share upon it.
﴿وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًۭا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍۢ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَـٰعَةٌۭ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌۭ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ﴾
« And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided. »
Surah البقرة : 48
﴿وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًۭا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍۢ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌۭ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَـٰعَةٌۭ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ﴾
« And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided. »
Surah البقرة : 123
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌۭ لَّا بَيْعٌۭ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌۭ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةٌۭ ۗ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ﴾
« 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. »
Surah البقرة : 254
﴿مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً حَسَنَةًۭ يَكُن لَّهُۥ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةًۭ سَيِّئَةًۭ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كِفْلٌۭ مِّنْهَا ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مُّقِيتًۭا﴾
« Whoever intercedes for a good cause will have a reward therefrom; and whoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a burden therefrom. And ever is Allah, over all things, a Keeper. »
Surah النساء : 85
﴿لَّا يَمْلِكُونَ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةَ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ عِندَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ عَهْدًۭا﴾
« None will have [power of] intercession except he who had taken from the Most Merciful a covenant. »
Surah مريم : 87
﴿يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لَّا تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةُ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَرَضِىَ لَهُۥ قَوْلًۭا﴾
« That Day, no intercession will benefit except [that of] one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and has accepted his word. »
Surah طه : 109
This term appears in 10 verses of the Quran.