Surah 3:114
Show Full Scripture Context (3:113-117) — 5 Verses
۞لَيۡسُواْ سَوَآءٗۗ مِّنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ أُمَّةٞ قَآئِمَةٞ يَتۡلُونَ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَهُمۡ يَسۡجُدُونَ
(Yet) they are not (all) alike. Among the People of the Book (there is) a community (which is) upstanding. They recite the signs of God during the hours of the night and prostrate themselves.
يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيُسَٰرِعُونَ فِي ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
They believe in God and the Last Day, and command right and forbid wrong, and are quick in the (doing of) good deeds. Those are among the righteous.
وَمَا يَفۡعَلُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٖ فَلَن يُكۡفَرُوهُۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ
Whatever good they do, they will not be denied (the reward of) it. God knows the ones who guard (themselves).
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَن تُغۡنِيَ عَنۡهُمۡ أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَوۡلَٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـٔٗاۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
Surely those who disbelieve – neither their wealth nor their children will be of any use against God – those are the companions of the Fire. There they will remain.
مَثَلُ مَا يُنفِقُونَ فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٖ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتۡ حَرۡثَ قَوۡمٖ ظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَأَهۡلَكَتۡهُۚ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَٰكِنۡ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ
The parable of what they contribute in this present life is like the parable of a freezing wind, which smites the field of a people who have done themselves evil, and destroys it. God did not do them evil, but they did themselves evil.
They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin Al-Ma'ruf and forbid Al-Munkar; and they hasten in (all) good works; and they are among the righteous [3:114].
This is the same type of people mentioned at the end of the Surah;
And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them;
[3:115]
meaning, their good deeds will not be lost with Allah. Rather, He will award them the best rewards,
for Allah knows well the Muttaqin (the pious).
for no deed performed by any person ever escapes His knowledge, nor is any reward for those who do good deeds ever lost with Him. Allah mentions the disbelieving polytheists:
neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them against Allah [3:116].
meaning, nothing can avert Allah's torment and punishment from striking them,
They are the dwellers of the Fire, therein they will abide.
The Parable of What the Disbelievers Spend in This Life
Allah gave a parable for what the disbelievers spend in this life, as Mujahid, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi said.
The likeness of what they spend in this world is the likeness of a wind of Sir
a frigid wind, as Ibn 'Abbas, 'Ikrimah, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas and others have said. 'Ata' said that Sir, means, 'cold and snow.' Ibn 'Abbas and Mujahid are also reported to have said that Sir means, 'fire'. This latter meaning does not contradict the meanings we mentioned above, because extreme cold weather, especially when accompanied by snow, burns plants and produce, and has the same effect fire has on such growth.
It struck the harvest of a people who did wrong against themselves and destroyed it [3:117],
by burning. This Ayah mentions a calamity that strikes produce that is ready to harvest, destroying it by burning and depriving its owner of it when he needs it the most. Such is the case with the disbelievers, for Allah destroys the rewards for their good deeds in this life, just as He destroyed the produce of the sinner because of his sins. Both types did not build their work on firm foundations.
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Pages 247-249)