۞ 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 each of the two gardens yielded its produce and failed naught in any wise; and We caused to gush amidst them 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 And he entered his garden, while he was a wrong-doer in respect of his own soul; he said: I imagine not that this shall ever perish. 35 "And I think not the Hour will ever come, and if indeed I am brought back to my Lord, (on the Day of Resurrection), I surely shall find better than this when I return to Him." 36 His companion said to him while disputing with him: Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you from dust, then from a small seed, then He made you a perfect man? 37 "But (I think) for my part that He is Allah, My Lord, and none shall I associate with my Lord. 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 yet it may well be that my Sustainer will give me something better than thy garden - just as He may let loose a calamity out of heaven upon this [thy garden,] so that it becomes a heap of barren dust 40 or its water may sink into the earth, so that you will never be able to find it again!" 41 And [thus it happened:] his fruitful gardens were encompassed [by ruin,] and there he was, wringing his hands over all that he had spent on that which now lay waste, with its trellises caved in; and he could but say: "Oh, would that I had not attributed divine powers to any but my Sustainer!" 42 for now he had nought to succour him in God's stead, nor could he succour himself. 43 Thereover protection belongs only to God the True; He is best rewarding, best in the issue. 44