This passage presents the Parable of the Two Gardens, a powerful story about the dangers of arrogance, ingratitude, and forgetting Allah in the face of worldly wealth and success.

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Arabic Text (Verses 18:32-44)

وَاضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَحَفَفْنَاهُمَا بِنَخْلٍ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًا
كِلْتَا الْجَنَّتَيْنِ آتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْئًا ۚ وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَالَهُمَا نَهَرًا
وَكَانَ لَهُ ثَمَرٌ فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبِهِ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًا
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ قَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَٰذِهِ أَبَدًا
وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا
قَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَكَفَرْتَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاكَ رَجُلًا
لَّٰكِنَّا هُوَ اللَّهُ رَبِّي وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا
وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا
فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّي أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حَسَبَانًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًا زَلَقًا
أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَاؤُهَا غَوْرًا فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُ طَلَبًا
وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَىٰ مَا أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا
وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُ فِئَةٌ يَنصُرُونَهُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا
هُنَالِكَ الْوَلَايَةُ لِلَّهِ الْحَقِّ ۚ هُوَ خَيْرٌ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًا

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Translation (English – Approximate Meaning)

32. And present to them the parable of two men: We granted one of them two gardens of grapevines, and We bordered them with palm trees and placed crops between them.
33. Both gardens yielded their produce in full and did not fall short thereof in any way. And We caused a river to gush forth between them.
34. And he had abundant fruits, so he said to his companion while conversing with him, “I am greater than you in wealth and stronger in manpower.”
35. And he entered his garden while wronging himself [with pride]. He said, “I do not think this will ever perish.”
36. “And I do not think the Hour will ever occur. And even if I am returned to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return.”
37. His companion said to him while conversing with him, “Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then fashioned you into a man?”
38. “But as for me, He is Allah, my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord anyone.”
39. “And why, when you entered your garden, did you not say, ‘What Allah wills [will occur]; there is no power except in Allah’? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children,”
40. “It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden and will send upon it a calamity from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground,”
41. “Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it.”
42. And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and he was saying, “Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone.”
43. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor could he defend himself.
44. At that time, [all] protection is from Allah, the True. He is best in reward and best in outcome.

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Explanation & Commentary (Based on Tafheem-ul-Qan)

Verses 32-33: The Setup of the Parable

· Allah instructs the Prophet (pbuh) to give this parable to the arrogant disbelievers of Mecca (like Walid ibn al-Mughirah, ‘Aas ibn Wa’il) who took pride in their wealth and mocked the poor believers.
· The two gardens are described as perfectly fruitful, well-irrigated, and lush. This represents maximum worldly success and prosperity.

Verse 34: The Arrogance of Wealth

· The wealthy man, impressed by his own possessions, boasts to his believing companion. His pride is twofold: in wealth and in worldly strength (family, tribe, supporters). This mirrors the attitude of the Quraysh chiefs.

Verses 35-36: The Core Denial

· “He entered his garden while wronging himself.” His very entry, filled with arrogance, was an act of spiritual self-harm.
· His statement reveals his twofold disbelief:

1. Denial of the World’s Impermanence: “I do not think this will ever perish.” He believes his wealth is eternal and immune to loss.
2. Denial of the Hereafter: “I do not think the Hour will occur.” This is the root of his arrogance. Even if he pays lip service to a return to God, he arrogantly assumes he’ll get something even better there, showing he has no real understanding of accountability.

Verses 37-38: The Believer’s Firm Reply

· The companion, poor but wise, immediately points to the fundamental truth: their origin (from dust, then a lowly drop). How can a creature of such humble origins be arrogant before its Creator?
· He makes a clear declaration of pure monotheism (Tawheed): “He is Allah, my Lord, and I do not associate anyone with Him.” His identity and security are tied to Allah, not possessions.

Verses 39-41: The Lesson of Gratitude and Reliance

· The believer gives the crucial lesson: The correct attitude upon seeing one’s blessings is to say: “Mā shā’a Allāh, lā quwwata illā billāh” (What Allah wills; there is no power except with Allah).
· “Mā shā’a Allāh” acknowledges that all blessings are by Allah’s will, not one’s own merit.
· “Lā quwwata illā billāh” acknowledges that the power to retain those blessings also lies only with Allah.
· He warns that Allah can take it all away in an instant—through a storm, a drought, or by making the water vanish—turning the lush garden into barren waste.

Verses 42-43: The Inevitable Outcome

· The parable shifts to show the warning coming true. The garden is destroyed completely.
· The wealthy man is now helpless. He wrings his hands in regret, realizing his folly. His meaningless wish—”I wish I had not associated anyone with my Lord”—comes too late. His “partners” (his wealth, his tribe) are of no help.
· This scene embodies the ultimate helplessness that follows worldly arrogance when divine decree strikes.

Verse 44: The Eternal Verdict

· “At that time, [all] protection is from Allah, the True.” In the final moment, only Allah’s protection matters. All other supports (wealth, power, tribe) vanish.
· “He is best in reward and best in outcome.” True success, the best return, belongs only to those who ally themselves with Allah, the Ultimate Reality (al-Haqq).

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Key Themes from Tafheem-ul-Qan in these Verses:

1. A Test, Not a Reward: Worldly wealth is a test of character, not a sign of Allah’s special favor. The real reward is in the Hereafter.
2. The Psychology of Arrogance: Denial of the Hereafter (Akhirah) is the root of arrogance (Kibr). One who thinks this life is all there is will inevitably look down on others.
3. The Formula for Blessings: The true “insurance” for any blessing is gratitude (Shukr) and acknowledging its source, expressed in the phrase “Mā shā’a Allāh, lā quwwata illā billāh.”
4. The Illusion of Power: All worldly power and support are illusory and will abandon a person when most needed. True protection (Walaayah) belongs only to Allah.
5. A Warning to the Opponents: This parable was a direct warning to the Meccan elite that their wealth and power were transient and that their arrogance would lead to their ruin, both in this world and the next.

This parable perfectly follows the previous verses (27-31), which ended with the contrast between Paradise and Hell. Here, it illustrates how the choice of disbelief and arrogance—rooted in love for this temporary world—leads to that terrible end, while conscious dependence on Allah leads to salvation.