The example of those who disbelieve in their Lord is [that] their deeds are like ashes which the wind blows forcefully on a stormy day; they are unable [to keep] from what they earned a [single] thing. That is what is extreme error.
Verse 18 of Surah Ibrahim (14:18), a Meccan surah, is in juz 13, on page 257 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
Listen to verse 18 of Surah Ibrahim
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Tafsir of verse 18
Al-Mukhtasar
The righteous actions of the disbelievers, such as giving charity and having kindness and mercy towards a weak person, are like ashes on a windy day. They are carried away by the wind and scattered all over the place until no trace of them remains. Such are the deeds of the disbelievers, which are blown away by disbelief. These deeds will not benefit their owners on the Day of Judgement. Actions that are not based on faith are deviations that are far from the path of truth.
The deeds of those who disbelieve7 in their Lord are like ashes that are blown away by the wind on a stormy day. They will gain nothing from what they did; that is the farthest misguidance.
Notes
[7] i.e., their good deeds, as they were not based on solid ground of faith.
The parable of those who disbelieved in their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day; they shall not be able to get aught of what they have earned. That is the straying, far away (from the Right Path).
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.
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).
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 any thing out of what they have earned; this is the great error.
(Such) is the likeness of the ones who have disbelieved in their Lord: their deeds are like ashes on which the wind blows severely upon a tempestuous day; they are unable (to do) anything with whatever they have earned. That is the far error itself.
And for those who disbelieve will be the fire of Hell. [Death] is not decreed for them so they may die, nor will its torment be lightened for them. Thus do We recompense every ungrateful one.