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
كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ]
(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,
[فِي يَوْمٍ
عَاصِفٍ]
(on a stormy day;) 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,
[وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَى
مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُوراً ]
(And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds
as scattered floating particles of dust.)[25:23],
[مَثَلُ مَا
يُنْفِقُونَ فِى هِـذِهِ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ
أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ
اللَّهُ وَلَـكِنْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ]
(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
ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تُبْطِلُواْ صَدَقَـتِكُم بِالْمَنِّ وَالاٌّذَى كَالَّذِى يُنفِقُ
مَالَهُ رِئَآءَ النَّاسِ وَلاَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ
فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ
صَلْدًا لاَّ يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَىْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُواْ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي
الْقَوْمَ الْكَـفِرِينَ ]
(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,
[ذلِكَ هُوَ
الضَّلاَلُ الْبَعِيدُ]
(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,
[ذلِكَ هُوَ
الضَّلاَلُ الْبَعِيدُ]
(That is the straying, far away from the right path.)
[أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ
اللَّهَ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالأَرْضَ بِالْحقِّ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ
وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ - وَمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ ]
(19. Do you not see that Allah has created the heavens and the earth with
truth If He wills, He can remove you and bring (in your place) a new creation!)
(20. And for Allah that is not hard or difficult.)