۞ (O Muhammad), propound a parable to them. 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. 32 Each of the gardens gave its fruit and withheld naught thereof. And We caused a river to gush forth therein. 33 And so [the man] had fruit in abundance. And [one day] he said to his friend, bandying words with him, "More wealth have I than thou, and mightier am I as regards [the number and power of my] followers!" 34 And having [thus] sinned against himself, he entered his garden, saying, "I do not think that this will ever perish! 35 and I do not believe that the Hour will ever come. Even if I am returned to my Lord, I shall surely find a better place than this." 36 His companion said to him, during the talk with him: "Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you out of dust (i.e. your father Adam), then out of Nutfah (mixed semen drops of male and female discharge), then fashioned you into a man? 37 But he is Allah, my Lord; and with my Lord I associate not anyone. 38 And wherefore did you not say when you entered your garden: It is as Allah has pleased, there is no power save in Allah? If you consider me to be inferior to you in wealth and children, 39 Then belike my Lord will vouchsafe unto me something better than thy garden and send thereon a belt from the heaven that it become a plane slippery. 40 Or the water thereof become deep sunken so that therefor thou canst not make a search. 41 So his fruits were encircled (with ruin). And he remained clapping his hands with sorrow over what he had spent upon it, while it was all destroyed on its trellises, he could only say: "Would I had ascribed no partners to my Lord!" [Tafsir Ibn Kathir] 42 He had no one besides God to help him, nor could he himself achieve any success. 43 Here brought to light is that the authority is only for Allah, the True; the reward He bestows is the best, and believing in Him has the best outcome. 44