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fa-ʾaṣābahum sayyiʾātu mā kasabū wa-lladhīna ẓalamū min hāʾulāʾi sa-yuṣībuhum sayyiʾātu mā kasabū wa-mā hum bi-muʿjizīna
So the evils of what they had earned visited them, and as for the wrongdoers among these, the evils of what they earn shall be visited on them and they will not frustrate [Allah].
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Zumar - Verses 50 - 51
50. Indeed, those before them said it [as well], yet that they had earned [in the world] availed them not.
51. Therefore, the evil [consequences] of that which they earned overtook them and those [Meccan disbelievers] who did wrong shall soon be overtaken by the evil [consequences] of what they had committed and they shall never be able to render Us desperate [to escape from Us].
History is the best testimony that upon Divine Wrath mundane possessions may save man neither in this world nor in the Hereafter. When God Almighty caused the earth to swallow Qarun (Korah) and his swelling place, he had no group or party to render him assistance against Allah, nor was he one of those who could save themselves25. Verse 50 reads:
Vain people like Qarun considered their possessions to be owing to their own competence and had consigned to oblivion the fact that they were due to Divine Bounties; however, history bears testimony to the fact that when God caused the earth to swallow their possessions, there was no one to render them assistance nor their possessions were of any avail to them, as it is mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an26:
The same fate was in store for the peoples of ‘Ad, Thamud, Sheba, and others. Verse 51 says:
They were afflicted with Divine Chastisements, e.g. storm, flood, earthquake, and outcries from the heaven (instantaneous death), and met their dire end. The blessed Verse further adds that it was not merely their fate, but Meccan polytheists and wrong doers would soon be overtaken by the evil consequences of their vicious deeds and would not be able to escape from Divine Chastisement. Yet, the dire fate embraces all vain wrong doers in all eras unaware of Divine Wrath.
Exegets have considered:
to indicate affliction with mundane or otherworldly torment. However, taking into account:
it sounds that the former is more appropriate herein.
Footnotes