'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, the Exalted: "Indeed, those who disbelieve, their wealth and their children will not avail them against Allah at all. And they are the fuel of the Fire." "Like the way of the people of Pharaoh and those before them. They denied Our signs, so Allah seized them for their sins. And Allah is Severe in punishment." The aspirations of the disbelievers who do not acknowledge resurrection are only directed towards the pleasures of this world, which are wealth and children. Allah, the Exalted, informed in this verse that this concern will not avail its owner at all, nor will it protect him from the punishment of Allah. And 'from' in His saying: 'from Allah' indicates the beginning of the goal. The reference in the verse is to those contemporaneous with the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, who took pride in their wealth and children, and this applies to every disbeliever. Abu Abd al-Rahman read: 'will not avail' with a 'ya' for the masculine marker. And 'the fuel' with a fatḥah on the waw refers to what burns in the fire from wood and similar things, and this is also the reading of the majority of people. Al-Hasan, Mujahid, and a group other than them read: 'fuel' with a ḍamma on the waw, and this is based on the omission of a genitive, the estimation of which is: 'the wood of the fuel of the fire.' The fuel with a ḍamma is the source, and the fire 'kindles' when it ignites. The term 'dahb' and 'dahb' - with a sukoon on the hamzah and a fatḥah - is the source of 'dahaba yad'hab,' meaning to persist in doing something and to continue diligently in it. It is said that the habit is 'dahb.' The meaning in the verse is a comparison of these people in their persistence in disbelief and their continuity upon it with those who preceded them. The end of the verse implies a warning that these will face a similar punishment to that which befell those. The 'kaf' in His saying, the Exalted: 'like the way of' is in the nominative case, and the estimation is: 'their way is like the way of.' It is also valid for the 'kaf' to be in the accusative case. Al-Farra said: it is an adjective for a missing source, the estimation of which is: 'disbelief like the way of.' The acting agent in it is 'disbelieved.' Al-Zajjaj rejected this saying that the 'kaf' is outside the connection, so what is in the connection does not act upon it. Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It is valid for an implied action from the term 'the fuel' to act, and the comparison is in the act of burning itself. This meaning is supported by His saying, the Exalted: "And a terrible punishment encompassed the people of Pharaoh." [Ghafir: 45] "The Fire, they are presented to it morning and evening." [Ghafir: 46] The first saying is the most preferred opinion that the 'kaf' is in the nominative case, and the 'ha' in 'before them' refers back to the people of Pharaoh. It is also possible that it refers back to the contemporaries of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, among the disbelievers. And His saying: 'by Our signs' may mean by the recited signs, and it may mean the established signs. The expressions of the interpreters differ regarding the interpretation of 'dahb,' and all of this returns to the meaning we mentioned.