The Atheists’ works are like ashes over which the wind blows hard on a tempestuous day, over which none can have power and they shall find no reward for it due to their nonbelief.
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Not all the Atheists are evil doers.
Some if not many of them do righteous works in the life of this world.
The Atheists may do moral works such as:
- Kindness to kin,
- Act of charity,
- Helping the poor and the needy,
- Compassion to the neighbors,
- Etc.
Allah very much encourages these works and He promised to give very good rewards for these honorable works.
Allah’s rewards for such conducts are beyond our dreams because Allah is the best ever Kind.
However, Allah’s rewards are only for the believers.
It is very unwise to expect a reward from the one you do not believe in Him.
The verses 14:18-20 of the Quran give the likeness and the description of the good Atheists’ works and their grievous loss in the Afterlife.
The parable of the Atheists’ works
The Atheists’ works are like ashes; the ashes are blowing about hither and thither by the wind.
The wind, which blows on them, is not an ordinary wind,
The day on which the wind blows is not an ordinary calm day.
A furious windstorm is blowing, for such is the Wrath of Allah.
They have neither internal peace nor external gain.
In the scattering of the ashes, they lose control even of such things as they might have earned but for their misbelief.
All their wishes to get rewarded go astray.
They are carried far away, from what was in their minds. What did they aim at, and what did they achieve?
No power have they over aught that they have earned:
That is the straying far, far from the goal.
Their works are just as one will not find ashes when the wind blows hard on it in the way that no rewards are resulting from such works.
“The works of those who disbelieve in their Lord are like ashes which the wind blows about fiercely on a stormy day. They cannot achieve any benefit from all that they might have earned. This [disbelief] is indeed going very far astray.”
Again, Atheists’ works are as ashes over which the wind blows hard on a tempestuous day, one in which the winds blow violently, making them as scattered dust, over which none can have power and they shall find no reward for it.
- That is the extreme error, which is far remote from the Truth or guidance.
- That is the extreme failure
- That is the extreme loss
Then have a look on how Allah, the Merciful, talk to them before it is too late for them.
Have not the Atheists seen that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth?
If He will, He can take you away, O humankind, and bring [about] a new creation, in your place.
O Atheists If Allah will, He can
- remove you, or
- destroy you, or
- make you die,
In addition, He can bring in some new creation and will create other beings who are better than you are and more obedient to Allah.
That is no great matter for Allah
That is not very difficult for Allah;
Allah says:
It is not very difficult for Allah to terminate you and create different beings.
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The perfect harmony of Quranic style
The image of Ashes Blowing about on a stormy day adds action to the concept that the Atheists’ workswill come to nothing.
People cannot hold on to any part of their actions, or make use of them. This image gives a far more profound effect than any expression of the same meaning of total loss in intellectual terms.
This scene expresses a basic truth about what the Atheists do.
Then the verses talk about the creation of Heavens and Earth before threatening the Atheists with Allah’s ability to replace them with a new creation.
This switch from the loss of the good Atheists’ work due to lack of faith and disbelief to a picture of the heavens and the earth is very natural in the Quran.
It is also natural in human feelings and perceptions.
This is a further indication of the divine source of the Quran.
There is a secret but intelligible discourse between man and the universe.
Human nature responds instinctively to this secret communication once it tunes in to it and receives its signals.
Those who do not notice these signals and indicators must examine their receptive abilities.
Such people are described in the Quran as blind. It is not possible for human life to prosper under a system, doctrine or philosophy promoted by someone who is blind.
The fact that the heavens and the earth have been created with the truth gives the impression of limitless ability and solid stability.
The truth is solid and stable even in the sound the word ‘truth’ makes.
This contrasts completely with the ashes blown about fiercely on a stormy day, dispersed far and wide, as it contrasts with people going astray.
In light of the fate suffered by dictators who stubbornly took the wrong side in the battle between truth and falsehood, a strong warning is issued:
“If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring into being a new creation.”
Allah who is able to create the heavens and the earth can easily replace the human race with a different one, or bring about a new community of humans in place of the present one.
Again the connotations of taking a community away to replace it with another fits properly with the image of ashes blown far away.
“This is no difficult thing for God.”
The creation of the heavens and the earth testify that it is indeed easy for Allah.
The fate of earlier unbelieving communities also testifies to it, and so do the ashes scattered hither and thither.
It is indeed a remarkable feature of the Quranic style that imagery and connotations slot together in perfect harmony.
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The verses 14:18-19 in different translations:
QARIB:
18-As for the likeness of those who disbelieve in their Lord, their works are like ashes which a strong wind scatters on a stormy day; they are powerless over that they have earned; that is the far error.
19-Do you not see that Allah has created the heavens and the earth with truth? he can put you away if he will and bring into being a new creation;
20-Indeed, that is no great thing for Allah.
SHAKIR:
18-The parable of those who disbelieve in their Lord: their actions are like ashes on which the wind blows hard on a stormy day; they shall not have power over anything out of what they have earned; this is the great error
19-Do you not see that Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth? if he please he will take you off and bring a new creation,
20-And this is not difficult for Allah
PICKTHAL:
18-A similitude of those who disbelieve in their Lord: their works are as ashes which the wind bloweth hard upon a stormy day. they have no control of aught that they have earned. that is the extreme failure.
19-Hast thou not seen that Allah hath created the heavens and the earth with truth? if he will, he can remove you and bring (in) some new creation;
20-And that is no great matter for Allah.
YUSUFALI:
18-The parable of those who reject their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a tempestuous day: no power have they over aught that they have earned: that is the straying far, far (from the goal).
19-Seest thou not that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth? if he so will, he can remove you and put (in your place) a new creation?
20-Nor is that for Allah any great matter.
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