Surah 3

Surah 3:10

"Surely those who disbelieve – neither their wealth nor their children will be of any use against God. And those – they will be fuel for the Fire,"
On the Day of Resurrection, No Wealth or Offspring Shall Avail Verses 3:10-11
Show Full Scripture Context (3:10-11) — 2 Verses
Verse 10

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَن تُغۡنِيَ عَنۡهُمۡ أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَوۡلَٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـٔٗاۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمۡ وَقُودُ ٱلنَّارِ

Surely those who disbelieve – neither their wealth nor their children will be of any use against God. And those – they will be fuel for the Fire,

Verse 11

كَدَأۡبِ ءَالِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ

like the case of the house of Pharaoh, and those who were before them, who called Our signs a lie. God seized them because of their sins, and God is harsh in retribution.

Allah states that the disbelievers shall be fuel for the Fire,
Day luhcn their excuses zoill be of tto profit to wrongdoers . Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell-fire).) [40:52].
Further, what they were granted in this life of wealth and offspring shall not avail them with Allah, or save them from His punishment and severe torment. Similarly, Allah said.
^So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world, and that their souls shall depart (die) while they are disbelievers.) [9:55], and,
iLet not the free disposal (and affluence) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you. A brief enjoyment ; then, their ultimate abode is Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.) [3:196, 197].
Allah said in this Ayah [3:10],
iVerily, those who disbelieve) meaning, disbelieved in Allah’s Ayat, denied His Messengers, defied His Books and did not benefit from His revelation to His Prophets,
iNeither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allalt; and it is they who will be fuel of the Fire.)
meaning, they will be the wood with which the Fire is kindled and fed. Similarly, Allah said,
4 Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel far Hell!} [21:98].
Allah said next,
iLike the Da’b of the people of Fira'wn .} Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Ayah means, “Like the behavior of the people of Fir'awn.”* 1 ’ This is the same Tafsir of ‘Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, and others. Other scholars said that the Ayah means, “Like the practice, conduct, likeness of the people of Fir'awn.”* 21 These meanings are all plausible, for the Da’b means practice, behavior, tradition and habit. The Ayah indicates that the disbelievers will not benefit from then- wealth or offspring. Rather, they will perish and be punished. This is the same end the people of Fir'awn and the previous nations met, those who rejected the Messengers, the Ayat, and proofs of Allah that they were sent with.
iAnd Allah is severe in punishment.} meaning, His punishment is severe and His torment is painful. None can escape Allah’s grasp, nor does anything escape His knowledge. Allah does what He wills and prevails over all things, it is He to Whom everything is humbled and there is no deity worthy of worship, nor any Lord except Him.

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.