Quran Universe
3:10

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

Inna allatheena kafaroo lan tughniya AAanhum amwaluhum wala awladuhum mina Allahi shayan waolaika hum waqoodu alnnari

Indeed, those who disbelieve - never will their wealth or their children avail them against Allah at all. And it is they who are fuel for the Fire.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  3. كَفَرُواْdisbelieve [d]
  4. لَنnever
  5. تُغۡنِيَwill avail
  6. عَنۡهُمۡ[for] them
  7. أَمۡوَٰلُهُمۡtheir wealth
  8. وَلَآand not
  9. أَوۡلَٰدُهُمtheir children
  10. مِّنَagainst
  11. ٱللَّهِAllah
  12. شَيۡـٔٗاۖanything
  13. وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَand those
  14. هُمۡthey (are)
  15. وَقُودُ(the) fuel
  16. ٱلنَّارِ(for) the Fire
Ali 'Imran · 3:10Madinah

Wealth and children cannot stand between you and Allah.

What people count on that will not help

What they relied on
wealthwhat they built
childrenwho they raised
against Allah
nothingno help at all
What protects
what I havemoney, family name
what I believe and dothe only shelter

Ibn Kathir explains that those who denied Allah's signs and His messengers will find that their wealth and offspring will not avail them or save them from His punishment. He links it to the warning not to be impressed by their affluence.

Payday. You check your balance and feel safe for a moment. Your kids are doing well. These are blessings, not a shield. On that Day, only your faith and deeds stand with you.

Money and a good family will cover me if things go wrong.

What I own is a test here, not protection before Allah.

Try this

Spend a little from your wealth today on someone who has less, for Allah alone.

Related9:553:19621:98
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Verily, those who disbelieve, neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allah; and it is they who will be fuel of the Fire (10)Like the behavior of the people of Fir'awn and those before them; they belied Our Ayat. So Allah punished them for their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment (11)

On the Day of Resurrection, No Wealth or Offspring Shall Avail

Allah states that the disbelievers shall be fuel for the Fire,

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ

(The Day when their excuses will be of no 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,

فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُم بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ

(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,

لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ - مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ

(Let 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],

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(Verily, 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,

 لَن تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ النَّارِ

(Neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them whatsoever against Allah; 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,

إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ

(Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell!)[21:98].

Allah said next,

كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ

(Like 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." 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." 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 their 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.

وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

(And 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.