۞ And set forth to them a parable of two men; for one of them We made two gardens of grape vines, and We surrounded them both with palms, and in the midst of them We made cornfields. 32 Both the gardens gave yields and gave no shortfall in it – and We made a river to flow between the two. 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 went into his garden, while he (thus) wronged himself. He said: I think not that all this will ever perish. 35 And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return." 36 Said his fellow, as he was conversing with him, 'What, disbelievest thou in Him who created thee of dust, then of a sperm-drop, then shaped thee as a man? 37 As for myself, Allah alone is my Lord, and I associate none with my Lord in His Divinity. 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 "It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden, and will send on it Husban (torment, bolt, etc.) from the sky, then it will be a slippery earth. 40 Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it." 41 And his vines were overtaken (with disaster), and he began to wring his hands (at the loss) of what he had spent on them, for the vines had fallen upon their trellises; and he said: "Would to God that I had not associated any one with my Lord." 42 And he had no group to help him against Allah, nor was he capable of taking revenge. 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