Ibrahim: 18

Ayah

Word by Word

مَّثَلُ

(The) example

ٱلَّذِينَ

(of) those who

كَفَرُواْ

disbelieve

بِرَبِّهِمۡۖ

in their Lord

أَعۡمَٰلُهُمۡ

their deeds

كَرَمَادٍ

(are) like ashes

ٱشۡتَدَّتۡ

blows furiously

بِهِ

on it

ٱلرِّيحُ

the wind

فِي

يَوۡمٍ

a day

عَاصِفٖۖ

stormy

لَّا

يَقۡدِرُونَ

control (they have)

مِمَّا

of what

كَسَبُواْ

they have earned

عَلَىٰ

شَيۡءٖۚ

anything

ذَٰلِكَ

That

هُوَ

[it]

ٱلضَّلَٰلُ

(is) the straying

ٱلۡبَعِيدُ

far

Translation

The parable of those who reject their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a tempestuous day: No power have they over aught that they have earned: that is the straying far, far (from the goal).

Tafsir

A Parable for the Deeds of the Disbelievers

This is a parable that Allah has given for the deeds and actions of the disbelievers who worshipped others besides Him and rejected His Messengers, thus building their acts on groundless basis. Their actions vanished from them when they were most in need of their rewards.

Allah said,

مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ بِرَبِّهِمۡ أَعۡمَالُهُمۡ

The parable of those who disbelieved in their Lord is that their works,

on the Day of Judgment, when they will seek their rewards from Allah the Exalted. They used to think that they had something, but they will find nothing, except what remains of ashes when a strong wind blows on it,

كَرَمَادٍ اشۡتَدَّتۡ بِهِ الرِّيحُ

are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously,

فِي يَوۡمٍ عَاصِفٍ

on a stormy day;

لااَّ يَقۡدِرُونَ مِمَّا كَسَبُواۡ عَلَى شَيۡءٍ

they shall not be able to get aught of what they have earned.

They will not earn rewards for any of the good works they performed during this life, except what they can preserve of ashes during a day of strong wind.

Allah said in other Ayat,

وَقَدِمۡنَأ إِلَى مَا عَمِلُواۡ مِنۡ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلۡنَاهُ هَبَأءً مَّنثُوراً

And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust. (25:23)

and,

مَثَلُ مَا يُنۡفِقُونَ فِى هِـذِهِ الۡحَيَوةِ الدُّنۡيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتۡ حَرۡثَ قَوۡمٍ ظَلَمُواۡ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَأَهۡلَكَتۡهُ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَـكِنۡ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ

The parable of what they spend in this world is that of a wind which is extremely cold; it struck the harvest of a people who did wrong against themselves and destroyed it. Allah wronged them not, but they wronged themselves. (3:117)

and,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواۡ لاأَ تُبۡطِلُواۡ صَدَقَـتِكُم بِالۡمَنِّ وَالاأٌّذَى كَالَّذِى يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ رِيَأءَ النَّاسِ وَلاأَ يُوۡمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالۡيَوۡمِ الاأٌّخِرِ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفۡوَانٍ عَلَيۡهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلۡدًا لاأَّ يَقۡدِرُونَ عَلَى شَىۡءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُواۡ وَاللَّهُ لاأَ يَهۡدِي الۡقَوۡمَ الۡكَـفِرِينَ

O you who believe!

Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day. His parable is that of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. (2:264)

Allah said in this Ayah,

ذَلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَلُ الۡبَعِيدُ

That is the straying, far away from the right path.

meaning, their work and deeds were not based on firm, correct grounds, and thus, they lost their rewards when they needed them the most,

ذَلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَلُ الۡبَعِيدُ

(That is the straying, far away from the right path)