وَما يُغني عَنهُ مالُهُ إِذا تَرَدّىٰ

His wealth shall not avail him when he perishes.

EXEGESIS

The mā here could be interrogative indicating a rhetorical question (istifhām inkārī) and the verse would thus read: And how will his wealth avail him when he perishes?! However, more likely, it could be negatory (nāfiyah) and thus the verse is a declaration negating the purport of what follows.^{‎[1]Munyah, 30/403; Mizan, 20/303.}

The word taraddā means to fall from a higher plane onto a lower plane, and has been used by the Quran to refer to animals that have fallen from a ridge as mutaraddiyah (see 5:3). However, in this verse it is a reference to death or destruction as, generally speaking, falling from a high altitude leads to death.^{‎[2]Munyah, 30/403.} Keeping in line with the original meaning of falling from a higher place, it seems most likely to be a reference to falling into the hellfire, or perhaps falling into the grave.^{‎[3]Daqaiq, 14/305; Mizan, 20/303.} It may also mean falling into spiritual destruction.

EXPOSITION

In light of the previous verse, it is as if God is saying that once we ease the stingy disbeliever into hardship, i.e. spiritual decline, he would be destroyed as he falls into hellfire. At that point, of what benefit will his wealth be that he had accumulated and not given in charity? After his death, he left it for his inheritors and was not able to bring it into the hereafter with him, which is the locus of his need. This has been indicated in 6:94: Certainly you have come to Us alone, just as We created you the first time, and left behind whatever We had bestowed on you (see also 19:80). This tells us that the wealth that is beneficial to man is that which he sends ahead in the form of virtuous acts such as charity, whilst that which remains physically in the hands of his heirs is of no value.^{‎[4]Razi, 31/185.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

It has been said that perishes in this verse refers to falling into the pit of vice and evil.^{‎[5]Kashif, 7/574.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.^{‎[6]Proverbs 11:4.}

[1] Munyah, 30/403; Mizan, 20/303.
[2] Munyah, 30/403.
[3] Daqaiq, 14/305; Mizan, 20/303.
[4] Razi, 31/185.
[5] Kashif, 7/574.
[6] Proverbs 11:4.