(39–44) “If you see me as having less wealth and fewer children than you, my Lord may well give me something better than your garden and send down upon it a calamity from heaven, leaving it barren, slippery ground. Or its water may sink deep into the earth, so that you will never be able to reach it.” His produce was then overtaken by destruction, and he began wringing his hands over all that he had spent on it, while it lay collapsed upon its trellises. He said, “If only I had not associated anyone with my Lord!” He had no company to help him against Allah, nor could he save himself. At that point, protection belongs to Allah, the True. He gives the best reward and the best outcome.”
That is, his believing companion said to the disbeliever: Even if you boast to me of your abundant wealth and children and regard me as having less wealth and fewer children than you, what is with Allah is better and more lasting. What may be hoped for from His goodness and beneficence is superior to the entire world over which people compete.
“My Lord may well give me something better than your garden and send down upon it”—that is, upon your garden, which has made you transgress and deluded you—“a calamity from heaven,” meaning a punishment in the form of a tremendous rain or something else, “leaving it,” as a result, “barren, slippery ground.” In other words, its trees would be uprooted, its fruits destroyed, its crops inundated, and all its benefit lost.
“Or its water,” upon which it depends, “may sink deep into the earth, so that you will never be able to reach it.” That is, it may sink so deeply that it cannot be reached with pickaxes or anything else. The believer only prayed against the garden out of anger for his Lord’s sake, because it had deluded its owner, driven him to transgression, and made him feel secure in it. Perhaps he would then turn back, return to sound judgment, and see his situation clearly.
Allah answered his supplication: “His produce was then overtaken by destruction.” That is, a punishment engulfed and consumed it, leaving nothing behind. The destruction of its produce necessarily entailed the loss of all its trees, fruits, and crops. He therefore became utterly remorseful and deeply grieved: “He began wringing his hands over all that he had spent on it”—that is, over his vast worldly expenditure upon it—when it had vanished and come to nothing, leaving him no return. He also regretted his idolatry, ⦗478⦘ and his wickedness. Hence, “He said, ‘If only I had not associated anyone with my Lord!’”
Allah Most High said: “He had no company to help him against Allah, nor could he save himself.” That is, when the punishment descended upon his garden, what he had boasted about when he told his companion, “I have more wealth than you and am mightier in numbers,” was gone. At the very time he needed them most, they could not ward off any of the punishment from him, nor could he defend himself. How could he prevail—that is, how could he have supporters against Allah’s decree and predestination? Once Allah enforces and ordains it, even if all the inhabitants of heaven and earth were to unite to remove any part of it, they would be unable to do so?
Given Allah’s mercy and gentleness, it is not unlikely that the owner of this garden, which was overtaken by destruction, subsequently improved in condition; that Allah blessed him with turning back to Him; that he returned to sound judgment; and that his rebellion and transgression departed. This is indicated by his openly expressing regret for having associated others with his Lord, and by the fact that Allah removed what had driven him to transgression and punished him in this world. When Allah intends good for a servant, He hastens his punishment in this world. Neither imagination nor intellect can encompass Allah’s bounty, and only an ignorant wrongdoer rejects it.
“At that point, protection belongs to Allah, the True. He gives the best reward and the best outcome.” That is, in that situation—when Allah inflicted punishment upon the one who transgressed and preferred the life of this world, while granting honor to the one who believed, acted righteously, thanked Allah, and called others to do likewise—it became manifest and clear that protection belongs to Allah, the True. Whoever believes in Him and is mindful of Him will have Allah as his Protector. He will honor him in many ways and ward off evils and exemplary punishments from him. But whoever does not believe in his Lord or take Him as his Protector will lose both his religion and his worldly life. Thus, the believer’s reward in this world and the Hereafter is the best (1) reward one may hope for and expect.
This tremendous account contains a lesson concerning one whom Allah blesses with worldly favors, only for them to distract him from the Hereafter, drive him to transgression, and become a means by which he disobeys Allah: their ultimate end is cessation and disappearance. Even if he enjoys them briefly, he will be deprived of them for a long time. It also teaches that whenever a servant is pleased by something in his wealth or children, he should attribute the blessing to the One who bestowed and granted it and say, “What Allah has willed! There is no power except through Allah,” thereby showing gratitude to Allah and taking the means to preserve His blessing upon him. This is based on His words: “If only, when you entered your garden, you had said, ‘What Allah has willed! There is no power except through Allah.’”
It also guides one to find consolation for the pleasures and desires of this world in the goodness that is with Allah, as indicated by His words: “If you see me as having less wealth and fewer children than you, my Lord may well give me something better than your garden.” It further teaches that wealth and children are of no benefit unless they assist one in obeying Allah. As Allah Most High said, “It is neither your wealth nor your children that bring you nearer to Us in rank, except for those who believe and act righteously.”
It also contains a prayer for the destruction of wealth when that wealth is the cause of its owner’s transgression, disbelief, and ruin—especially when he uses it to consider himself superior to the believers and boast over them. It further teaches that the consequence of Allah’s protection, or its absence, only becomes clear once the dust has settled, recompense has come to pass, and those who acted have received their reward: “At that point, protection belongs to Allah, the True. He gives the best reward and the best outcome”—that is, the best final consequence and ultimate end.