إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن تُغْنِىَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۚ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ 116
Translations
Indeed, those who disbelieve - never will their wealth or their children avail them against Allāh at all, and those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina kafaroo lan tughni AAanhum amwaluhum wa la awladuhum mina Allahi shayan wa olaika ashabo alnnari hum fiha khalidoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphatically declares that disbelievers' wealth and children will provide them no benefit or protection from Allah's punishment on the Day of Judgment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that material possessions and progeny, often sources of pride and false security in this world, are utterly powerless against divine justice. The ayah concludes with the grave pronouncement that such disbelievers are the inhabitants of Hellfire, eternally residing therein.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan surah Ali 'Imran, which addresses both believers and disbelievers. It comes within a section discussing the futility of disbelief and the certainty of the afterlife. The broader context reflects the early Islamic community's struggle against those who rejected faith despite possessing worldly abundance, emphasizing that material wealth cannot substitute for spiritual conviction.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Wealth and children are the adornment of life, but the everlasting good deeds are better with your Lord' (Surah Al-Kahf 18:46, thematic parallel). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet warned that 'No one of you will enter Paradise by his deeds alone' - emphasizing that neither wealth nor worldly achievements guarantee salvation without faith.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers not to be deceived by the apparent success of wealthy disbelievers, reminding us that true security lies only in faith and righteousness. For modern readers, it serves as a profound reminder that accumulated possessions and social status are temporary and meaningless without connection to the Divine.