18 Preface مَثَلُ الَّذينَ كَفَروا بِرَبِّهِم ۖ أَعمالُهُم كَرَمادٍ اشتَدَّت بِهِ الرّيحُ في يَومٍ عاصِفٍ ۖ لا يَقدِرونَ مِمّا كَسَبوا عَلىٰ شَيءٍ ۚ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلالُ البَعيدُYusuf AliThe parable of those who reject their Lord is that their works are as ashes,1 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).Note the fullness of the parable. The works of the ungoldy are in themselves light and unsubstantial like ashes: they are the useless rubbish that remains out of the faculties and opportunities which they have misused by burning them up. Further, the ashes are blown about hither and thither by the wind: the ungodly have no compass, direction, or purpose that can stand. The wind, too, which blows on them is no ordinary wind, nor the day on which they seek to enjoy the fruits of their labours an ordinary tranquil day: a furious gale is blowing, for such is the Wrath of God. 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 misdeeds. Their whole nature is contaminated. All their wishes go astray. They are carried so far, far away from what was on their minds. What did they aim at, and what did they achieve?