ما أَغنىٰ عَنّي مالِيَه

هَلَكَ عَنّي سُلطانِيَه

My wealth did not avail me.

My authority has departed from me.’

EXEGESIS

In verse 28, the particle mā in mā aghnā can be interrogative (what?) or a particle of negation (not). Hence, the words ‘My wealth did not avail me’ can also be translated as: ‘What did my wealth avail me?’

But whether we read the verse as ‘My wealth did not avail me’ or ‘what did my wealth avail me?’ both translations echo the broader Quranic theme that the things that provide material advantages in this world are of no avail in the next: Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of the world, but lasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope (18:46).^{‎[1]Nasr, 69:28-9.}

In verse 29, sulṭān can mean authority and power, but also, as a synonym for ḥujjah, can imply proof or argument.^{‎[2]Qurtubi, 18/272; Razi, 30/630; Tabari, 29/40.}

In addition to the preceding three verses, these two verses are also expressions of intense regret by the guilty when they realise all their means of support in the world are now of no avail. For they had imagined the keys to success to be wealth and influence, and they had thought these can repel every unpleasantness and provide everything one desires. They exerted all their efforts in life to acquiring these two and turned away from their Lord and from every truth that they were called to, calling its summoner a liar. Now, when they witness the severing of all ties and the loss of all means (26:88), they will painfully recall their folly; yet their remorse will be in vain. The day when hell is brought [near], on that day man will take admonition but what will the admonition avail him? (89:23).

EXPOSITION

It is the tendency of evildoers that when they suffer the consequences of their evil deeds, they curse the circumstances and supporters through whom they came to know and commit their evil (see 25:28 and 37:28-32). The Quran often associates corruption with authority in the hands of the impious (2:205, 47:22) and transgression with the unrighteous who are affluent (17:16, 34:34), perhaps because these people see themselves as being needless of God (96:6-7) due to their wealth and influence. And that is why, on the Day of Judgement, they are seen lamenting: ‘My wealth did not avail me. My authority has departed from me!’

Amongst the instructive stories related to these verses, one is about the Abbasid caliph, Hārūn al-Rashīd, who, when he fell terminally ill in Khorasan at the age of forty-six, called for a doctor from Ṭūs who upon looking at the caliph’s urine sample, commented, without knowing whose it was: ‘Tell the patient of this sample to make his final will.’ When the caliph heard the people rumouring about his death, he ordered for a mount and wanted to ride out in public to show people he was well and to dispel these rumours. But as soon as he got on the horse, his feet lost their strength to move. Despairing of his life he said: ‘Bring me down, for the one who spread this rumour was right.’ Then he ordered for shrouds and chose one that impressed him, and then said: ‘Prepare for me a grave near my bed,’ which was done. Then he looked at his grave and recited: ‘My wealth did not avail me. My authority has departed from me.’^{‎[3]Qummī, Safīnat al-Biḥār, 1/523.}

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. From Imam Ali (a) in describing the resurrection: ‘… till when matters come to a close, the world dies and resurrection draws near. Allah would take them out from the corners of the graves, the nests of birds, the dens of beasts, and the centres of death. They hasten towards His command and run towards the place fixed for their final return. Group by group, quiet, standing, and arrayed in rows. They will be within Allah’s sight and will hear everyone who would call them. They would be having the dress of helplessness and covering of submission and indignity. [At this time] contrivances would disappear, desires would be cut, hearts would sink quietly, voices would be curbed down, sweat would choke the throat, fear would increase, and ears would resound with the thundering voice of the announcer calling towards the final judgement, award of recompense, striking of punishment, and paying of reward.’^{‎[4]Nahj, sermon 83.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Many past exegetes, including Qurṭubī, Rāzī, Ṭabarī, and al-Thaʿlabī, have also said that besides authority, the word sulṭān in this verse can also mean excuses or arguments (ḥujjah), such as what one presents in a court of law to escape conviction and to gain victory. So, when the wretched say: ‘My sulṭān has departed from me’ they will mean: ‘All my excuses are now exhausted’,^{‎[5]Razi, 30/630; Thalabi, 10/31.} because by then, besides their book of deeds, even their limbs and skin will have testified against them (24:24, 36:65, 41:20-21) and they will have admitted their sin (67:10-11).

This is a valid interpretation for the meaning of sulṭāniyah and worthy of reflection, provided by that we mean they no longer will have any capacity to argue against the reality of the resurrection or defend their actions in this life; and that all their ‘intellectual’ proofs for their atheistic stance will have been demolished and appear silly and meaningless.

However, many of these past exegetes have mentioned this meaning only because they argue that most of the wretched who enter hellfire on the Day of Judgement will not necessarily have been men of power and authority in the world. So, the meaning of authority or power (for sulṭāniyah) would not apply to them. This, however, is not a strong argument. Firstly, because ‘my authority has departed from me’ can also refer to a person’s control over his own life and his influence over his circle of friends. Secondly, many of the wretched may not have been wealthy in this world either, but the previous verse mentions them confessing ‘my wealth did not avail me’. Hence, it seems more plausible that sulṭān here refers to authority and speaks of those who not only possessed authority, power, control, and influence in this world, but were also wealthy (since verse 29 is an obvious continuation from the previous). The elite (malaʾ) and affluent (mutrafīn) are usually described as the leaders and instigators in all rebellious nations (17:16, 34:34, 43:23, 56:45). For more references see the Exposition of 88:2.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.^{‎[6]Psalms 49:6-12.}
2. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.^{‎[7]Zephaniah 1:18.}

[1] Nasr, 69:28-9.
[2] Qurtubi, 18/272; Razi, 30/630; Tabari, 29/40.
[3] Qummī, Safīnat al-Biḥār, 1/523.
[4] Nahj, sermon 83.
[5] Razi, 30/630; Thalabi, 10/31.
[6] Psalms 49:6-12.
[7] Zephaniah 1:18.