إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن تُغْنِىَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ ٱلنَّارِ 10
Translations
Indeed, those who disbelieve - never will their wealth or their children avail them against Allāh at all. And it is they who are fuel for the Fire.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina kafaroo lan tughnee AAanhum amwaluhum wala awladuhum mina Allahi shayan wa-olaika hum waqoodu alnnari
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah declares that disbelievers' wealth and children will be of no avail to them before Allah on the Day of Judgment, emphasizing the absolute powerlessness of material possessions against divine punishment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as a powerful refutation of the disbelievers' false confidence in their worldly resources, while also serving as a warning that only faith and righteous deeds matter in the Hereafter. The concluding phrase—that disbelievers 'will be fuel for the Fire'—underscores the severity of their fate, as they themselves become the means of their own torment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of the Battle of Uhud and broader themes of faith versus disbelief. It was revealed in Medina during a period when the Muslim community faced opposition from disbelievers who relied on their wealth and numbers as sources of power, making this ayah particularly relevant as a reminder that material advantage holds no weight against Allah's justice.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Wealth and children are adornments of this worldly life, but the everlasting good deeds are better' (Sahih Tirmidhi 2329). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim regarding the Day of Judgment states that a person's wealth and family will not benefit them except those who come to Allah with a sound heart.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that true security and success lie not in accumulating wealth or relying on worldly connections, but in faith and obedience to Allah. It serves as a sobering reminder that material prosperity is temporary and meaningless without spiritual foundation, encouraging Muslims to prioritize their relationship with the Divine above all earthly concerns.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا رَءَا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ
And when those who wronged see the punishment, it will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved.
وَأَنذِرِ ٱلنَّاسَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ أَخِّرْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ نُّجِبْ دَعْوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعِ ٱلرُّسُلَ ۗ أَوَلَمْ تَكُونُوٓا۟ أَقْسَمْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ مَا لَكُم مِّن زَوَالٍ
And, [O Muḥammad], warn the people of a Day when the punishment will come to them and those who did wrong will say, "Our Lord, delay us for a short term; we will answer Your call and follow the messengers." [But it will be said], "Had you not sworn, before, that for you there would be no cessation?
وَقَالَتْ أُولَىٰهُمْ لِأُخْرَىٰهُمْ فَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ
And the first of them will say to the last of them, "Then you had not any favor over us, so taste the punishment for what you used to earn."
قِيلَ ٱدْخُلُوٓا۟ أَبْوَٰبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ
[To them] it will be said, "Enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and wretched is the residence of the arrogant."