Tell them the parable of two men: for one of them We made two gardens of grape vines, surrounded them with date palms, and put corn fields in between;

both gardens yielded fruit and did not fail in any way; We made a stream flow through them,

and so he had abundant fruit. One day, while talking to his friend, he said, ‘I have more wealth and a larger following than you.’

He went into his garden and wronged himself by saying, ‘I do not think this will ever perish,

or that the Last Hour will ever come- even if I were to be taken back to my Lord, I would certainly find something even better there.’

۞ وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلࣰا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَٰبࣲ وَحَفَفْنَٰهُمَا بِنَخْلࣲ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعࣰا

كِلْتَا ٱلْجَنَّتَيْنِ ءَاتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْـࣰٔاۚ وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَٰلَهُمَا نَهَرࣰا

وَكَانَ لَهُۥ ثَمَرࣱ فَقَالَ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَنَا۠ أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالࣰا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرࣰا

وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُۥ وَهُوَ ظَالِمࣱ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ قَالَ مَآ أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أَبَدࣰا

وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةࣰ وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرࣰا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبࣰا

His companion retorted, ‘Have you no faith in Him who created you from dust, from a small drop of fluid, then shaped you into a man?

But, for me, He is God, my Lord, and I will never set up any partner with Him.

If only, when you entered your garden, you had said, “This is God’s will. There is no power not [given] by God.” Although you see I have less wealth and offspring than you,

my Lord may well give me something better than your garden, and send thunderbolts on your garden from the sky, so that it becomes a heap of barren dust;

or its water may sink so deep into the ground that you will never be able to reach it again.’

قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَكَفَرْتَ بِٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابࣲ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةࣲ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلࣰا

لَّٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّي وَلَآ أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّيٓ أَحَدࣰا

وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالࣰا وَوَلَدࣰا

فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّيٓ أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرࣰا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانࣰا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدࣰا زَلَقًا

أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَآؤُهَا غَوْرࣰا فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُۥ طَلَبࣰا

And so it was: his fruit was completely destroyed, and there he was, wringing his hands over what he had invested in it, as it drooped on its trellises, and saying, ‘I wish I had not set up any partner to my Lord.’

He had no forces to help him other than God- he could not even help himself.

In that situation, the only protection is that of God, the True God: He gives the best rewards and the best outcome.

وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَٰلَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّيٓ أَحَدࣰا

وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُۥ فِئَةࣱ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا

هُنَالِكَ ٱلْوَلَٰيَةُ لِلَّهِ ٱلْحَقِّۚ هُوَ خَيْرࣱ ثَوَابࣰا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبࣰا