18-32 And set forth to them the parable of two men — for one of them We made two gardens of grape-vines, and We surrounded them with date-palms, and between them We made corn-fields.a
وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًۭا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍۢ وَحَفَفْنَـٰهُمَا بِنَخْلٍۢ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًۭا (۳۲)
18-32a: حَفَفْنَا – حَفّ بالشئ means to circumambulate around something or to enclose it, as in وَتَرَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ حَآفِّينَ مِنْ حَوْلِ ٱلْعَرْشِ : And thou seest the angels going round about the Throne of Power (39:75) (LA). Allah has given a parable of believers and disbelievers and according to Ruh al-Maani و ضرب المثل لا تقیضی وجودھا It is not necessary for something set forth as a parable to actually exist. The point is not to discuss two particular men, however some commentators have tried to construct stories, complete with the names of the persons in it. The purpose is simply to set up a parable for the wealth and assets Allah has given to the Christians. The parable includes gardens because gardens are a great source of pleasure, and the verse mentions the best grapes growing in the garden and around its boundaries are tall straight palms lending their majestic beauty to it. To complete the picture, there are not just fruits but also lush green fields of grain stretching between the gardens. The next verse mentions rivers flowing through it. Indeed, the Christian nations have converted jungles into gardens.
Allah attributes the giving of these adornments to Himself: Allah attributes to Himself the giving of gardens, the planting of the date-palms and causing the rivers to flow, although it is the disbelievers who worked to make it happen. They are attributed to Allah because He provides the resources that makes all this possible.
18-33 Both these gardens yielded their fruits, and failed not in aught thereof, and We caused a river to gush forth in their midst,
كِلْتَا ٱلْجَنَّتَيْنِ ءَاتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْـًۭٔا ۚ وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَـٰلَهُمَا نَهَرًۭا (۳۳)
18-34 And he had fruit. So he said to his companion, while he argued with him: I have greater wealth than thou, and am mightier in followers.a
وَكَانَ لَهُۥ ثَمَرٌۭ فَقَالَ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَنَا۠ أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًۭا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًۭا (۳۳)
18-34a: ثَمَرٌۭ – Its literal meaning is the fruit of trees. Its singular is ثمرۃ and it has two plurals ثمرات and اثمار , as in فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًۭا لَّكُمْ : then brings forth with it fruits for your sustenance (2:22) and كُلُوا۟ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦٓ إِذَآ أَثْمَرَ : Eat of its fruit when it bears fruit (6:141). The benefits obtained from anything is called its ثمرۃ fruit, as for example ثمرۃ العلم fruit of knowledge and ثمرۃ العمل the fruit of deeds. ثمر is also used for wealth from which benefit can be earned and this is the meaning that applies here (R). Some commentators have taken its meaning here as انواع المال , many types of assets (Qamus) and gold and silver (IJ).
Although in the previous verse only a garden is mentioned, in order to convey that this is a parable, a statement of the owner is included to the effect that his wealth and his associates are greater than that of the other person. He flaunts his supremacy because of the size of his associates just as Christian nations are proud because of their wealth and their military alliances.
18-35 And he went into his garden, while he was unjust to himself. He said: I think not that this will ever perish,a
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُۥ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ قَالَ مَآ أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أَبَدًۭا (۳۵)
18-35a: تَبِيدَ – بَادَ (یبید) means to perish and بَیۡداء means wilderness (R).
Christian nations being devoid of spirituality: By going into the garden is not meant a particular visit made to a garden, but the meaning is more general and implies deriving benefit from wealth and resources. Further in هُوَ ظَالِمٌۭ he was unjust, it is conveyed that the Christian nations have become so absorbed with their wealth that they are unjust to themselves because of neglecting spirituality and morality and thus they have set themselves up for destruction. They consider the amassing of wealth and other assets to be the purpose of life, exerting so much effort that they are convinced that their rank and riches will never diminish. This is the current condition of the Christian nations and the next verse reveals that they will cease to believe in the Hereafter. It is true that modern Christian nations neither hold belief in the Hereafter nor are they worried about it. However, since there is the mention of the Hereafter in the Gospels, they assume that they are the most deserving of the blessings of the Hereafter.
18-36 And I think not the Hour will come; and even if I am returned to my Lord, I will certainly find a returning-place better than this.
وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةًۭ وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّى لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًۭا (۳۶)
18-37 His companion said to him, while arguing with him: Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a small life-germ, then He made thee a perfect man?
قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَكَفَرْتَ بِٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍۢ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍۢ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلًۭا (۳۷)
18-38 But as for me, He, Allah, is my Lord, and I associate none with my Lord.a
لَّـٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّى وَلَآ أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا (۳۸)
18-38a: لَّـٰكِنَّا۠ – It is a short form of لٰکن انا and the meaning is لٰکن انا اقول But I say this or but I believe this.
The state of the believer described here is by implication the description of Islam with its theological basis in لَآ أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا I associate none with my Lord. The perfect belief in the Unity of Allah exists only in Islam. The disbelief in Allah mentioned in the last verse is a picture of the Christian nations who are practically denying the existence of God and are averse to even mentioning the name of God in any affair. It can also mean that they deny the power of God, who has given great physical prowess to humans, to raise him to achieve spiritual perfection. In this verse, we are told about birth of humans, created from dust and then of a small life germ. This does not mean that Prophet Adam was created from dust and then subsequently humans from life germs. It means that plants and grains grow in the ground from which they get their nourishment. These are then consumed by humans as food to nourish their bodies which produce the life-germ. In this way, every person is born from dust, as the elements that produce the life germ and subsequently the human, come from the earth.
The stages of the next life are like those of this life: The next life or نشأۃ اخرۃ is similar to this life. The deeds of individuals are varied and scattered. The effects of a person’s deeds are simultaneously manifested producing a condensed essence of his life in the next world, similar to a life-germ or embryo. Hence that life begins here, but in the form of a life germ in an unknown form. The برزخ intermediary stage has a similarity with the fetus in the mother’s womb and the Resurrection is the time of its birth.
18-39 And wherefore didst thou not say, when thou enteredst thy garden: It is as Allah has pleased — there is no power save in Allah? If thou consider me as less than thee in wealth and children —a
وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًۭا وَوَلَ
دًۭا (۳۹)
18-39a: مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ – means الامر مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ Whatever God wishes or مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّه کائن God willing it will happen because if Allah had not created the sources from which people derive benefit, they could not have done anything. A person can only benefit from resources if Allah desires to bestow that benefit on him and that desire by Allah is expressed in the form of having created the resources humans needs to progress. In لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ there is no power save in Allah there is an admission of the powerlessness of humans. In a hadith this statement is said to be one of the treasures of heaven.
إِن تَرَن – تَرَن is actually تَرَنِیۡ and stands for انا فصل the first is second person masculine singular imperfect verb and the reply is conditionally omitted but a standard reply is given in the next verse.
18-40 Then maybe my Lord will give me better than thy garden, and will send on (thine) a reckoning from heaven so that it is dust without plant:a
فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّىٓ أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًۭا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًۭا زَلَقًا (۴۰)
18-40a: حُسْبَانًۭ – Its literal meaning is reckoning but here it means heavenly punishment or a fire from heaven. It actually refers to the one who faces a reckoning, and according to which the requital is meted out (R).
زَلَق – It is the same as زَلَل and زَلَق. It is a ground on which it is difficult to get a sure footing, or a slippery ground. Hence by زَلَق here is meant a land without vegetation. In another verse it is stated: لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ : would almost spite thee with their eyes (68:51), showing that they would stare you down with their eyes as if to make you fall from the high status that Allah has granted you (LA).
A better garden refers to paradise in the next world, which is promised to the believers and which is never ending. Wealth can be lost, indeed power, honor, and dignity can all slip away due to conditions that are heaven sent مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ or arise from the earth. An example is given in the next verse which speaks of water drying up.
18-41 Or its water will sink down into the ground, so that thou art unable to find it.
أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَآؤُهَا غَوْرًۭا فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُۥ طَلَبًۭا (۴۱)
18-42 And his fruit was destroyed; so he began to wring his hands for what he had spent on it, while it lay waste, its roofs fallen down, and he said: Ah me! would that I had ascribed no partners to my Lord!
وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا (۴۲)
18-42: يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ – can be understood as a restless rubbing of hands, placing the palm of one hand over the back of the other. It can also be understood as a gesture of regret, when one is powerless to do anything.
The wealth of the world is often lost, and it is only then that one understands that only a connection with God can help in every situation. This connection is actually the paradise from which one is never expelled.
18-43 And he had no host to help him against Allah, nor could he defend himself.a
وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُۥ فِئَةٌۭ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا (۴۳)
18-43a: مُنتَصِرً – The meanings of اِنتِصار and اِستِنۡصار is to ask for aid or help (R).
18-44 Thus protection is only Allah’s, the True One. He is Best to reward and Best in requiting.
هُنَالِكَ ٱلْوَلَـٰيَةُ لِلَّهِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ هُوَ خَيْرٌۭ ثَوَابًۭا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًۭا (۴۴)
18-44a: وَلَـٰيَةُ – See 2-257a for its meaning, but Ibn Jarir states that ولایة means continuation and وِلایة means governing and dominating, and عُقِبۡ means a good end. See 13-22a. This means it is only at this stage that the realization dawns that help comes only from Allah. Even powerful people cannot defend their power from being destroyed, and it is only the connection and relationship with Allah that can be of assistance.
Bayan-ul-Quran 