এ দুনিয়ার জীবনে যা কিছু ব্যয় করা হয়, তার তুলনা হলো ঝড়ো হাওয়ার মতো, যাতে রয়েছে তুষারের শৈত্য, যা সে জাতির শস্যক্ষেত্রে গিয়ে লেগেছে যারা নিজের জন্য মন্দ করেছে। অতঃপর সেগুলোকে নিঃশেষ করে দিয়েছে। বস্তুতঃ আল্লাহ তাদের উপর কোন অন্যায় করেননি, কিন্তু তারা নিজেরাই নিজেদের উপর অত্যাচার করছিল।
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 aginst themselves and destroyed it, (i.e. the good deed of a person is only accepted if he is a monotheist and believes in all the Prophets of Allâh, including Christ and Muhammad SAW). Allâh wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.
مَثَلُ مَا يُنفِقُونَ فِي هِـذِهِ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللّهُ وَلَـكِنْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Mathalu ma yunfiqoona fee hathihi alhayati alddunya kamathali reehin feeha sirrun asabat hartha qawmin thalamoo anfusahum faahlakat-hu wama thalamahumu Allahu walakin anfusahum yathlimoona
YUSUFALI: What they spend in the life of this (material) world May be likened to a wind which brings a nipping frost: It strikes and destroys the harvest of men who have wronged their own souls: it is not Allah that hath wronged them, but they wrong themselves.
PICKTHAL: The likeness of that which they spend in this life of the world is as the likeness of a biting, icy wind which smiteth the harvest of a people who have wronged themselves, and devastateth it. Allah wronged them not, but they do wrong themselves.
SHAKIR: The likeness of what they spend in the life of this world is as the likeness of wind in which is intense cold (that) smites the seed produce of a people who haw done injustice to their souls and destroys it; and Allah is not unjust to them, but they are unjust to themselves.
KHALIFA: The example of their accomplishments in this life is like a violent wind that hits the harvest of people who have wronged their souls, and wipes it out. GOD never wronged them; it is they who wronged themselves.