The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 19
PT. 3 ĀL-E-‘IMRĀN CH. 3 اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا لَنْ تُغْنِى عَنْهُمْ disbelieve R. 2. 11. Those who "their possessions and their اَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا اَوْلَادُهُمْ مِّنَ اللهِ شَيْئًا children shall not avail them at وأوليك هُمْ وَقُودُ النَّارِة all against Allah; and it is they that are the fuel of the Fire. 302 "3:117; 58:18; 92:12; 111:3. he promised a good thing; and c) means, he threatened with something evil. means, time or place of promise or appointment (Aqrab). It also means, promise (Lane). Commentary: The prayer contained in the preceding verse becomes all the more essential because man has to give an account of his actions before God on the Day of Reckoning when He will bring together men of all ages and all lands. An examination is a very hard thing but it becomes harder still if held in the presence of a gathering comprising the whole of mankind. 302. Important Words: (shall not avail) is derived from ☀i. e. he became free from want; or he was in a state of competence or sufficiency; or he became rich. se means, he made him free from want; or put him in a state of sufficiency or competence; or he made him rich. is it means, this shall not suffice or satisfy thee; or shall not stand thee in good stead; or shall not avail or profit thee (Tāj). Commentary: As these verses have particular reference to Christians, the word 459 "disbelievers" occurring in this verse may apply to them. Thus the verse contains a great prophecy; for though at the time of its revelation Christians were not strong or numerous, yet the time was to come when they were destined to be So. Indeed, they became the wealthiest people in the whole world and their progeny has spread over entire continents. But that cannot protect them from God's punishment. Their very wealth and number have become the cause of their destruction and, as predicted in the verse, they are now being punished with fire in the form of shots, shells and incendiary bombs. The verse may also refer to the Day of Judgement, spoken of in the preceding verse, when nothing shall avail the Christian nations against the punishment of God. The verse may also apply to the infidels of Mecca, all of whose efforts against the Holy Prophet came to naught, whose wealth fell into Muslim hands and whose children joined the fold of Islam in large numbers. In this case "fire" would mean either the fire of Hell or the fire of war which they themselves had kindled against Islam but which finally proved their own ruin.