Surah 18. Al-Kahf

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Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-17 [2], 18-22 [3], 23-31 [4], 32-44 [5], 45-49 [6], 50-53 [7], 54-59 [8], 60-70 [9], 71-82 [10], 83-101 [11], 102-110 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 32-44وَ اضْرِبْAnd set forthلَهُمْto themمَّثَلًاthe exampleرَّجُلَیْنِof two men:جَعَلْنَاWe providedلِاَحَدِهِمَاfor one of themجَنَّتَیْنِtwo gardensمِنْofاَعْنَابٍgrapesوَّ حَفَفْنٰهُمَاand We bordered themبِنَخْلٍwith date-palmsوَّ جَعَلْنَاand We placedبَیْنَهُمَاbetween both of themزَرْعًاؕcrops كِلْتَاEachالْجَنَّتَیْنِ(of) the two gardensاٰتَتْbrought forthاُكُلَهَاits produceوَ لَمْand notتَظْلِمْdid wrongمِّنْهُof itشَیْـًٔا ۙanythingوَّ فَجَّرْنَاAnd We caused to gush forthخِلٰلَهُمَاwithin themنَهَرًاۙa river وَّ كَانَAnd wasلَهٗfor himثَمَرٌ ۚfruitفَقَالَso he saidلِصَاحِبِهٖto his companionوَ هُوَwhile heیُحَاوِرُهٗۤ(was) talking with himاَنَاI amاَكْثَرُgreaterمِنْكَthan youمَالًا(in) wealthوَّ اَعَزُّand strongerنَفَرًا (in) men 18. Al-Kahf Page 298وَ دَخَلَAnd he enteredجَنَّتَهٗhis gardenوَ هُوَwhile heظَالِمٌ(was) unjustلِّنَفْسِهٖ ۚto himselfقَالَHe saidمَاۤNotاَظُنُّI thinkاَنْthatتَبِیْدَwill perishهٰذِهٖۤthisاَبَدًاۙever وَّ مَاۤAnd notاَظُنُّI thinkالسَّاعَةَthe Hourقَآىِٕمَةً ۙwill occurوَّ لَىِٕنْAnd ifرُّدِدْتُّI am brought backاِلٰیtoرَبِّیْmy LordلَاَجِدَنَّI will surely findخَیْرًاbetterمِّنْهَاthan thisمُنْقَلَبًا (as) a return قَالَSaidلَهٗto himصَاحِبُهٗhis companionوَ هُوَwhile heیُحَاوِرُهٗۤwas talking to himاَكَفَرْتَDo you disbelieveبِالَّذِیْin One Whoخَلَقَكَcreated youمِنْfromتُرَابٍdustثُمَّthenمِنْfromنُّطْفَةٍa minute quantity of semenثُمَّthenسَوّٰىكَfashioned youرَجُلًاؕ(into) a man لٰكِنَّاۡBut as for meهُوَHeاللّٰهُ(is) Allahرَبِّیْmy Lordوَ لَاۤand notاُشْرِكُI associateبِرَبِّیْۤwith my Lordاَحَدًا anyone وَ لَوْ لَاۤAnd why (did you) notاِذْwhenدَخَلْتَyou enteredجَنَّتَكَyour gardenقُلْتَsayمَاWhatشَآءَwillsاللّٰهُ ۙAllahلَا(there is) noقُوَّةَpowerاِلَّاexceptبِاللّٰهِ ۚwith AllahاِنْIfتَرَنِyou seeاَنَاmeاَقَلَّlesserمِنْكَthan youمَالًا(in) wealthوَّ وَلَدًاۚand children فَعَسٰیIt may beرَبِّیْۤthat my Lordاَنْthat my Lordیُّؤْتِیَنِwill give meخَیْرًاbetterمِّنْthanجَنَّتِكَyour gardenوَ یُرْسِلَand will sendعَلَیْهَاupon itحُسْبَانًاa calamityمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyفَتُصْبِحَthen it will becomeصَعِیْدًاgroundزَلَقًاۙslippery اَوْOrیُصْبِحَwill becomeمَآؤُهَاits waterغَوْرًاsunkenفَلَنْso neverتَسْتَطِیْعَyou will be ableلَهٗto find itطَلَبًا to find it وَ اُحِیْطَAnd were surroundedبِثَمَرِهٖhis fruitsفَاَصْبَحَso he beganیُقَلِّبُtwistingكَفَّیْهِhis handsعَلٰیoverمَاۤwhatاَنْفَقَhe (had) spentفِیْهَاon itوَ هِیَwhile it (had)خَاوِیَةٌcollapsedعَلٰیonعُرُوْشِهَاits trellisesوَ یَقُوْلُand he saidیٰلَیْتَنِیْOh! I wishلَمْI had not associatedاُشْرِكْI had not associatedبِرَبِّیْۤwith my Lordاَحَدًا anyone وَ لَمْAnd notتَكُنْwasلَّهٗfor himفِئَةٌa groupیَّنْصُرُوْنَهٗ(to) help himمِنْother thanدُوْنِother thanاللّٰهِAllahوَ مَاand notكَانَwasمُنْتَصِرًاؕ(he) supported هُنَالِكَThereالْوَلَایَةُthe protectionلِلّٰهِ(is) from Allahالْحَقِّ ؕthe TrueهُوَHeخَیْرٌ(is the) bestثَوَابًا(to) rewardوَّ خَیْرٌand (the) bestعُقْبًا۠(for) the final end

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Translation of Verse 32-44

(18:32) (O Muhammad), propound a parable to them.³⁶ There were two men of whom We bestowed upon one of the two vineyards, surrounding both of them with date-palms and putting a tillage in between.

(18:33) Both the vineyards yielded abundant produce without failure and We caused a stream to flow in their midst

(18:34) so the owner had fruit in abundance and he said to his neighbour, while conversing with him: "I have greater wealth than you and I am stronger than you in numbers."

(18:35) Then he entered his vine-yard³⁷ and said, wronging himself: "Surely, I do not believe that all this will ever perish.

(18:36) Nor do I believe that the Hour of Resurrection will ever come to pass. And even if I am returned to my Lord, I shall find a better place than this."³⁸

(18:37) While conversing with him his neighbour exclaimed: "Do you deny Him Who created you out of dust, then out of a drop of sperm, and then fashioned you into a complete man?³⁹

(18:38) As for myself, Allah alone is my Lord, and I associate none with my Lord in His Divinity.

(18:39) When you entered your vineyard, why did you not say: 'Whatever Allah wills shall come to pass, for there is no power⁴⁰ save with Allah!' If you find me less than yourself in wealth and children

(18:40) it may well be that my Lord will give me something better than your vineyard, and send a calamity upon your vineyard from the heavens and it will be reduced to a barren waste,

(18:41) or the water of your vineyard will be drained deep into the ground so that you will not be able to seek it out."

(18:42) Eventually all his produce was destroyed and he began to wring his hands in sorrow at the loss of what he had spent on it, and on seeing it fallen down upon its trellises, saying: "Would I had not associated anyone with my Lord in His Divinity."

(18:43) And there was no host, beside Allah, to help him, nor could he be of any help to himself.

(18:44) (Then he knew) that all power of protection rests with Allah, the True One. He is the best to reward, the best to determine the end of things.

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Commentary

36. In order to understand the context of this parable one would do well to recall verse 28 above which was in fact revealed in response to the arrogant attitude displayed by the Quraysh chiefs. They had disdainfully refused to sit in the company of poor and humble believers. They had expressed their readiness to listen to the Prophet’s teaching only if his assembly was cleared of these ordinary, poor believers.

It is also pertinent at this stage to consider this parable in conjunction with another in al-Qalam, 68: 17-33. Furthermore, it is also useful to bear in mind the following verses: Maryam 19: 73-4, al-Mu’ minun 23: 55-61, Saba’ 34: 36, and Fussilat 41: 49-50.

37. That is, he entered his orchards which he considered no less than Paradise. Small, mean people are easily puffed up by worldly successes, and they tend to believe that their achievements in this world are-synonymous with Paradise. So great are these successes and attainments in their eyes that they hardly see any reason to strive for the attainment of Paradise in the Hereafter.

38. They claim that if the Next Life really does come about, then they will be even better off. For the prosperity that they enjoy in this world — at least, as they see it is only indicative of the fact that they are God’s favorites.

39, The person concerned did not deny the existence of God. In fact, the words and even if I am returned to my Lord’) (see verse 36) positively indicate that he did believe in the existence of God. Still, he was branded by his neighbor as one who denied God. The reason for this is that kufr does not merely consist in denying the existence of God. In addition, pride, arrogance, vainglory and the denial of the Hereafter also constitute kufr of God; for the faith required of man does not merely consist of affirming God’s existence; it also requires affirming. Him as the Master, the Lord, and the Sovereign. Whoever focuses his attention exclusively upon himself, who considers his attainments, his wealth and his high social standing not as gifts from God but the result of his own ability and effort, who thinks that his wealth will endure and that none has the power to deprive him of it, and who thinks that he is accountable to no one — such a person in fact does not believe in God in the sense in which he is required to; that is, he does not believe in Him as his Master, Lord, and Sovereign.

40. Whatever God alone wills come to happen, for man does not have the power to make things happen according to his wishes. Whatever man does is only by God’s aid and succor.