Al-Kahf 18:35
The Cave · Juz 15 · Page 298
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُۥ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٞ لِّنَفۡسِهِۦ قَالَ مَآ أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أَبَدٗا ٣٥
And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself.1 He said, "I do not think that this will perish - ever.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., proud and ungrateful to Allāh. ↩
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 18:32–36
The Example of the Rich Idolators and the Poor Muslims
After mentioning the idolators who were too arrogant to sit with the poor and weak among Muslims, showing off before them with their wealth and noble lineage, Allah then gives a parable for them of two men, one of whom Allah gave two gardens of grapes, surrounded with palm trees and cultivated with crops throughout. All of the trees and plants were abundantly fruitful, providing readily accessible, good quality produce. Allah says:
كِلْتَا الْجَنَّتَيْنِ آتَتْ أُكُلَهَا
(Each of those two gardens brought forth its produce,) meaning, produced its fruits,
وَلَمْ تَظْلِمِ مِّنْهُ شَيْئًا
(and failed not in the least therein,) meaning, nothing at all was diminishing.
وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَلَهُمَا نَهَراً
(and We caused a river to gush forth in the midst of both.) means, rivers were flowing through them here and there.
وَكَانَ لَهُ ثَمَرٌ
(And he had Thamar,) It was said that what was meant here was wealth, and it was said that what was meant were fruits, which is the more apparent meaning here. This is also supported by the alternative recitation, Thumr, which is the plural of Thamrah (fruit) just as Khushb is the plural of Khashab (wood). Others recite it as Thamar.
فَقَالَ
(and he said) the owner of the two gardens
لَصَحِبِهِ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ
(to his companion in the course of discussion) means, while he was disputing with him and boasting to him and showing off,
أَنَاْ أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالاً وَأَعَزُّ نَفَراً
(I am greater than you in wealth and have a mightier entourage.) meaning, `I have more servants, attendants and children.' Qatadah said, "This, by Allah, is the wish of the immoral to have a lot of wealth and a large entourage. R
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ
(And he went into his garden having been unjust to himself.) meaning, in his disbelief, rebellion, arrogance and denial of the Hereafter.
قَالَ مَآ أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَذِهِ أَبَداً
(He said: "I do not think this will ever perish.") Thus he was allowing himself to be deceived because of the plants, fruits and trees that he saw, and the rivers flowing through the different parts of his gardens. He thought that it could never come to an end or cease or be destroyed. This was because of his lack of understanding and the weakness of his faith in Allah, and because he was enamored with this world and its adornments, and because he disbelieved in the Hereafter. So he said:
وَمَآ أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً
("And I do not think the Hour will ever come...") meaning, will ever happen
وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَى رَبِّى لأَجِدَنَّ خَيْراً مِّنْهَا مُنْقَلَباً
(and if indeed I am brought back to my Lord, I surely shall find better than this when I return to Him.) meaning, `if there is a Hereafter and a return to Allah, then I will have a better share than this with my Lord, for if it were not that I am dear to Him, He would not have given me all this.' As Allah says elsewhere:
وَلَئِن رُّجِّعْتُ إِلَى رَبِّى إِنَّ لِى عِندَهُ لَلْحُسْنَى
(But if I am brought back to my Lord, surely there will be for me the best with Him.) 41:50
أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِى كَفَرَ بَِايَتِنَا وَقَالَ لأوتَيَنَّ مَالاً وَوَلَداً
(Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our Ayat and said: "I shall certainly be given wealth and children if I will be alive again).")19:77 He took it for granted that Allah would give him this, without any sound evidence for that. The reason why this Ayah was revea- led was because of Al-`As bin Wa'il, as we will explain in the appropriate place, if Allah wills. In Allah we put our trust.
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18:35
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُۥ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٞ لِّنَفۡسِهِۦ قَالَ مَآ أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أَبَدٗا ٣٥
And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself.1 He said, "I do not think that this will perish - ever.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., proud and ungrateful to Allāh. ↩
18:36
وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةٗ وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهَا مُنقَلَبٗا ٣٦
And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return."
18:37
قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَكَفَرۡتَ بِٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٖ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلٗا ٣٧
His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, "Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man?
18:38
لَّٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّي وَلَآ أُشۡرِكُ بِرَبِّيٓ أَحَدٗا ٣٨
But as for me, He is Allāh, my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord anyone.
18:39
وَلَوۡلَآ إِذۡ دَخَلۡتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلۡتَ مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالٗا وَوَلَدٗا ٣٩
And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allāh willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allāh'? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children,
18:40
فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّيٓ أَن يُؤۡتِيَنِ خَيۡرٗا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرۡسِلَ عَلَيۡهَا حُسۡبَانٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتُصۡبِحَ صَعِيدٗا زَلَقًا ٤٠
It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it a [disastrous] penalty from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground,
18:41
أَوۡ يُصۡبِحَ مَآؤُهَا غَوۡرٗا فَلَن تَسۡتَطِيعَ لَهُۥ طَلَبٗا ٤١
Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it."
18:42
وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصۡبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيۡهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي لَمۡ أُشۡرِكۡ بِرَبِّيٓ أَحَدٗا ٤٢
And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone."1
1 translator’s note
- He attributed his prosperity to himself rather than to Allāh and disbelieved in the account of the Hereafter. ↩
18:43
وَلَمۡ تَكُن لَّهُۥ فِئَةٞ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا ٤٣
And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allāh, nor could he defend himself.
18:44
هُنَالِكَ ٱلۡوَلَٰيَةُ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡحَقِّۚ هُوَ خَيۡرٞ ثَوَابٗا وَخَيۡرٌ عُقۡبٗا ٤٤
There1 the authority is [completely] for Allāh, the Truth. He is best in reward and best in outcome.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., at such a time or on the Day of Judgement. ↩
18:45
وَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخۡتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَأَصۡبَحَ هَشِيمٗا تَذۡرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَٰحُۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ مُّقۡتَدِرًا ٤٥
And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it1 and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allāh is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.
1 translator’s note
- Absorbs it, growing lush and thick. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy