۞ Propound thou unto them the similitude of two men. We appointed to one of them two gardens of vine and hedged both with date-palms, and We placed in-between the twain tillage. 32 Each of the two gardens brought forth its produce and stinted not aught thereof; and We caused to gush forth in the midst of the twain a river. 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 He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever perish, 35 And I do not think the hour will come, and even if I am returned to my Lord I will most certainly find a returning place better than this. 36 His companion replied, in the course of their discussion, "Do you deny Him who created you from dust, from a small drop of fluid, then formed you into a man? 37 And He is God, my Lord, and I do not associate any one with my Lord. 38 When you entered your garden why did you not say: "If Allah wills; there is no power except by Allah." Though you see me lesser than yourself in wealth and children, 39 maybe my Lord will give me a garden better than yours, and send down a thunderbolt from heaven, so that in the morning it will be a slope of dust, 40 or, in the morning its water will be drained into the earth so that you will not have a means to reach it' 41 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." 42 And there could be no party suceouring him as against Allah, nor could he himself be an avenger. 43 For thus it is: all protective power belongs to God alone, the True One. He is the best to grant recompense, and the best to determine what is to be. 44