۞ And strike for them a similitude: two men. To one of them We assigned two gardens of vines, and surrounded them with palm-trees, and between them We set a sown field; 32 and a stream flowing through the middle of the gardens. 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 he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, "I do not think that this will perish - ever. 35 nor do I think that there will be a Day of Judgment. Even if I shall be brought before my Lord, I certainly deserve to have a better place than this." 36 His fellow said unto him, while he spake with him: hast thou disbelieved in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a sperm, and formed thee a man? 37 I believe that He is God my Lord and I do not consider anything equal to Him." 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 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, 40 or in the morning the water of it will be sunk into the earth, so that thou wilt not be able to seek it out.' 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 he had no group of men to help him against Allah, nor could he defend or save himself. 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