Parables In the Qur’an: Corrupt Spending likened to crops destroyed by extreme cold that burns like fire, with loud sound

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Exalted, says:

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن تُغْنِىَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

مَثَلُ مَا يُنفِقُونَ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَٰكِنْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

Surely, those who reject Faith (disbelieve in Muhammad as being Allah’s Prophet and in all that which he has brought from Allah), neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them aught against Allah. They are the dwellers of the Fire, therein they will abide. The likeness of what they spend in this world is the likeness of a wind which is extremely cold; it struck the harvest of a people who did wrong against themselves and destroyed it. Allah wronged them not, but they wronged themselves. [Surah Aal Imran 116-117]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Allah gives this parable regarding those who spend their wealth in a way that displeases Him and amounts to disobedience. Their spending, which is (accompanied by) boasting and (pretending) to be generous, seeking praise and a good reputation, and not seeking the face of Allāh, spending to hinder (people) from the path of Allah and from adherence to the path of His Messengers, is likened to crops planted by its owner, hoping for benefit and goodness, only to be destroyed by a cold wind, burning the crops and fruits, leaving the plants dry and destroyed.

There is a difference in opinion regarding the word “صر”. Some said it refers to extreme cold, while others said it refers to fire, as mentioned by Ibn Abbas. Ibn Al-Anbari stated that fire was described as صر due to its intensity when ignited. It was also said that صر refers to the sound accompanying the wind due to its strong gust. These three interpretations are interconnected: extreme cold that burns like fire, with a loud sound.

And regarding the statement of Allah:

أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ

It struck the harvest of a people who did wrong against themselves.

This is a reminder that their harvest was ruined due to their wrongdoing, resulting in them being afflicted by the mentioned wind until it decimated their crops and left them barren. The wind, brought upon by their wrongdoing, destroyed all that they had toiled for and invested in their crops.

[An Excerpt from Badaa’i at-Tafsir Al-Jami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim 1/239-240]