“And he entered his garden while wronging himself. He said, ‘I do not think that this will ever perish. Nor do I think that the Hour will come. Yet if I am returned to my Lord, I will surely find something better than it in return.’”

Thus, “He said, ‘I do not think that this will ever perish,’” meaning that it would cease and disappear. He felt secure in this worldly life, was content with it, and denied the resurrection. He therefore said, “Nor do I think that the Hour will come. Yet if I am returned to my Lord”—speaking only by way of supposition—“I will surely find something better than it in return.” That is, He will give me something better than these two gardens.

This admits of only two possibilities. Either he knew the true state of affairs, in which case he spoke in mockery and ridicule, thereby adding further disbelief to his disbelief; or he genuinely believed this, in which case he was among the most ignorant of people and the least endowed with reason. What necessary connection is there between what one is given in this world and what one is given in the Hereafter, such that he ignorantly supposed that whoever is granted bounty in this world must also be granted bounty in the Hereafter? Rather, Allah Most High generally withholds worldly prosperity from His close and chosen servants, while granting it abundantly to His enemies, who will have no share in the Hereafter.

It appears that he knew the true state of affairs but spoke in mockery and ridicule. This is indicated by the words, “And he entered his garden while wronging himself.” Describing him as wronging himself at the very time he entered the garden and uttered what he did indicates his defiance and obstinacy.