سُوْرَةُ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ
Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 18
مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ ۖ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ كَرَمَادٍ ٱشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ ٱلرِّيحُ فِى يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلضَّلَـٰلُ ٱلْبَعِيدُ ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The parable of those who disbelieved in their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day; they shall not be able to get aught of what they have earned. That is the straying, far away (from the Right Path).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَّثَلُ
mathalu
(The) example
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
بِرَبِّهِمْ ۖ
birabbihim
in their Lord
أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ
aʿmāluhum
their deeds
كَرَمَادٍ
karamādin
(are) like ashes
ٱشْتَدَّتْ
ish'taddat
blows furiously
بِهِ
bihi
on it
ٱلرِّيحُ
l-rīḥu
the wind
فِى
fī
in
يَوْمٍ
yawmin
a day
عَاصِفٍۢ ۖ
ʿāṣifin
stormy
لَّا
lā
No
يَقْدِرُونَ
yaqdirūna
control (they have)
مِمَّا
mimmā
of what
كَسَبُوا۟
kasabū
they have earned
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
شَىْءٍۢ ۚ
shayin
anything
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
هُوَ
huwa
[it]
ٱلضَّلَـٰلُ
l-ḍalālu
(is) the straying
ٱلْبَعِيدُ
l-baʿīdu
far
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
The example of those who disbelieve in their Lord is like ashes [21] which the wind blows forcefully on a stormy day. They will not be able to gain anything from what they have earned. That is the utmost misguidance.
[21]
The Example of the Good Deeds of Disbelievers: A Heap of Ashes:
A principle of Shariah is that the reward and punishment of deeds depend on intentions; this is the well-known and widely transmitted saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, meaning that a person will be rewarded according to the intention he makes while performing an action. A believer performs all his deeds with the intention that these very actions will benefit him in the Hereafter and become a means of his salvation, so he will be rewarded accordingly. But a person who does good deeds with the intention of gaining some personal or national benefit or seeking fame, he is given the reward for such good deeds in this world itself. No matter how many good deeds he has, in the Hereafter they are just like a heap of ashes upon which a strong wind blows and scatters it, leaving nothing behind. The following hadith also explains this subject. Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: Allah will not wrong a believer even as much as a particle regarding his good deeds. He will be given the reward for his good deeds in this world as well as in the Hereafter. And as for the disbeliever, whatever good deeds he may have done, he will be given their reward in this world itself. So much so that when he reaches the Hereafter, there will be no good deed left for which he could be rewarded. [مسلم، كتاب صفة القيامة والجنة والنار، باب جزاء المومن بحسناته فى الدنيا والآخرة]
And since the disbelievers do not have faith in the Hereafter, nor do they perform any deed with the intention of receiving reward in the Hereafter, therefore, there will be no question of reward for them in the Hereafter. And the evil deeds they committed in the world, the greatest of which is the denial of the Hereafter, they will certainly be punished for them. In other words, for them it will be a case of wasted good deeds and inevitable sin.
[21]
The Example of the Good Deeds of Disbelievers: A Heap of Ashes:
A principle of Shariah is that the reward and punishment of deeds depend on intentions; this is the well-known and widely transmitted saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, meaning that a person will be rewarded according to the intention he makes while performing an action. A believer performs all his deeds with the intention that these very actions will benefit him in the Hereafter and become a means of his salvation, so he will be rewarded accordingly. But a person who does good deeds with the intention of gaining some personal or national benefit or seeking fame, he is given the reward for such good deeds in this world itself. No matter how many good deeds he has, in the Hereafter they are just like a heap of ashes upon which a strong wind blows and scatters it, leaving nothing behind. The following hadith also explains this subject. Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: Allah will not wrong a believer even as much as a particle regarding his good deeds. He will be given the reward for his good deeds in this world as well as in the Hereafter. And as for the disbeliever, whatever good deeds he may have done, he will be given their reward in this world itself. So much so that when he reaches the Hereafter, there will be no good deed left for which he could be rewarded. [مسلم، كتاب صفة القيامة والجنة والنار، باب جزاء المومن بحسناته فى الدنيا والآخرة]
And since the disbelievers do not have faith in the Hereafter, nor do they perform any deed with the intention of receiving reward in the Hereafter, therefore, there will be no question of reward for them in the Hereafter. And the evil deeds they committed in the world, the greatest of which is the denial of the Hereafter, they will certainly be punished for them. In other words, for them it will be a case of wasted good deeds and inevitable sin.
