The Story From Al Quran - Believer & The Disbeliever:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The Story of the Believer & The Disbeliever:
Allah the Almighty says:
{And put forward to them the example of two men: unto one of them We had given two gardens of grapes, and We had surrounded both with date palms; and had put between them green crops (cultivated fields). Each of those two gardens brought forth its produce and failed not in the least therein, and We caused a river to gush forth in the midst of them.
And he had property (or fruit) and he said to his companion, in the course of mutual talk: "I am more than you in wealth and stronger in respect of men." And he went into his garden while in a state (of pride and disbelief), unjust to himself. He said: "I think not that this will ever perish. 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."
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? "But as for my part, (I believe) that He is Allah, my Lord, and none shall I associate as partner with my Lord. "It was better for you to say, when you entered your garden: 'That which Allah wills (will come to pass)! There is no power but with Allah! If you see me less than you in wealth and children.
"It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden and will send on it Husban (torment, bolt) from the sky, then it will be a slippery earth. "Or the water thereof (of the gardens) becomes deep-sunken (underground) so that you will never be able to seek it." 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, and he could only say:
"Would that I had ascribed no partners to my Lord!" And he had no group of men to help him against Allah, nor could he defend (or save) himself. There (on the Day of Resurrection), Al-Walayah (protection, power, authority, and kingdom) will be for Allah (Alone), the True God. He (Allah) is the Best for reward and the Best for the final end. (La ilaha illallah -none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)}.
۞ وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًۭا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍۢ وَحَفَفْنَـٰهُمَا بِنَخْلٍۢ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًۭا ٣٢
كِلْتَا ٱلْجَنَّتَيْنِ ءَاتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْـًۭٔا ۚ وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَـٰلَهُمَا نَهَرًۭا ٣٣
وَكَانَ لَهُۥ ثَمَرٌۭ فَقَالَ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَنَا۠ أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًۭا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًۭا ٣٤
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُۥ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ قَالَ مَآ أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أَبَدًۭا ٣٥
وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةًۭ وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّى لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًۭا ٣٦
قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَكَفَرْتَ بِٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍۢ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍۢ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلًۭا ٣٧
لَّـٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّى وَلَآ أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا ٣٨
وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًۭا وَوَلَدًۭا ٣٩
فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّىٓ أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًۭا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًۭا زَلَقًا ٤٠
أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَآؤُهَا غَوْرًۭا فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُۥ طَلَبًۭا ٤١
وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا ٤٢
وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُۥ فِئَةٌۭ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا ٤٣
هُنَالِكَ ٱلْوَلَـٰيَةُ لِلَّهِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ هُوَ خَيْرٌۭ ثَوَابًۭا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًۭا ٤٤
"Coin for them a similitude: Two men, unto one of whom We had assigned two gardens of grapes, and We had surrounded both with date palms and had put between them tillage.Each of the gardens gave its fruit and withheld naught thereof. And We caused a river to gush forth therein. And he had fruit. And he said unto his comrade when he spake with him: I am more than thee in wealth, and stronger in respect of men. And he went into his garden, while he (thus) wronged himself. He said: I think not that all this will ever perish.I think not that the Hour will ever come, and if indeed I am brought back unto my Lord I surely shall find better than this as a resort. His comrade, when he (thus) spake with him, exclaimed: Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a drop (of seed), and then fashioned thee a man? But He is Allah, my Lord, and I ascribe unto my Lord no partner.If only, when thou entered thy garden, thou hadst said: That which Allah willeth (will come to pass)! There is no strength save in Allah! Though thou seest me as less than thee in wealth and children,Yet it may be that my Lord will give me better than thy garden, and will send on it a bolt from heaven, and some morning it will be a smooth hillside, Or some morning the water thereof will be lost in the earth so that thou canst not make search for it. And his fruit was beset (with destruction). Then began he to wring his hands for all that he had spent upon it, when (now) it was all ruined on its trellises, and to say: Would that I had ascribed no partner to my Lord! And he had no troop of men to help him as against Allah, nor could he save himself."
(Al-Kahf, 32-44)
Al Quran - Ayat
قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ ءَايَةٌۭ فِى فِئَتَيْنِ ٱلْتَقَتَا ۖ فِئَةٌۭ تُقَـٰتِلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌۭ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْىَ ٱلْعَيْنِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةًۭ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرِ ١٣
— M. Pickthall
(Ya-Sin, 13)
It is well-known that one of these two men was a believer, while the other was a disbeliever. It is also said that each one of them was very rich. The believer spent all his riches and wealth on the Cause of Allah. Conversely, the disbeliever, though granted gardens and orchards (of which are the two gardens mentioned in the Glorious Qur'an in full detail), diverted from Allah's Path.
His two gardens contained grapes and date palms surrounding his plants and grapes, along with overflowing rivers and water streams running everywhere along his property. The fruits of his trees and plants were numerous and countless (only by Allah's Grace), and the sight of his gardens was very pleasant. However, the owner of the two gardens became proud and dealt arrogantly with the believing man saying: {I am more than you in wealth and stronger in respect of men}, i.e. I am better than you as you spent all your wealth in vain and you did not do as I did: buying gardens and orchards and investing the money therein to gain the profits later.
You should have followed my very steps! And, {he went into his garden while in a state (of pride and disbelief), unjust to himself), i.e. in a state that is not pleasing to Allah the Almighty (with pride and arrogance). And he {said: I think not that this will ever perish}, that is because there is plenty of its plants and trees and if any of these were to perish, he would certainly (as he thought) get it replaced with a better and more fine one. For -he thought -he has everything: plentiful water, countless fruits, and varieties of plants.
Then, the disbeliever said: {And I think not the Hour will ever come}, as he put his perfect trust in the vain pleasures of this life of ours and belied the existence of the everlasting Hereafter. Then, he said: {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}, i.e. if there is indeed a Hereafter and a Last Day, he will find there better than what he has been given in the present life. He was deceived by what he was given and thought that Allah the Almighty granted him all these blessings because He loved him and favored him to other people.
The same was said by Al-'As Ibn Wa'il in His Saying:
{Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our Ayat (this Qur'an and Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and said:
أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى كَفَرَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَقَالَ لَأُوتَيَنَّ مَالًۭا وَوَلَدًا ٧٧
أَطَّلَعَ ٱلْغَيْبَ أَمِ ٱتَّخَذَ عِندَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ عَهْدًۭا ٧٨
"I shall certainly be given wealth and children [if I will be alive (again)]." Has he known the Unseen or has he taken a covenant from the Most Gracious (Allah)?}
(Maryam, 77, 78).
And, Almighty Allah says about the one He granted with blessings, {And truly if We give him a taste of mercy from Us after some adversity (severe poverty or disease, etc.) has touched him, he is sure to say: "This is due to my (merit); I think not that the Hour will be established. But if I am brought back to my Lord, surely, there will be for me the best (wealth) with Him "}
وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَـٰهُ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَـٰذَا لِى وَمَآ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَآئِمَةًۭ وَلَئِن رُّجِعْتُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّىٓ إِنَّ لِى عِندَهُۥ لَلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ فَلَنُنَبِّئَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍۢ ٥٠
— M. Pickthall
(Fussilat, 50)
and, {Then, We verily, will show to the disbelievers what they have done, and We shall make them taste a severe torment} (Fussilate, 50), and Qarun (Korah) said, {This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess}. (Al-Qasas, 78) i.e. for Allah knows that I deserve it. But, Allah the Almighty says: {Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations, men who were stronger than him in might and greater in the amount (of riches) they had collected? But the Mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) will not be questioned of their sins (because Allah knows them well, so they will be punished without being called to account)}:
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِىٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةًۭ وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًۭا ۚ وَلَا يُسْـَٔلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ ٧٨
— M. Pickthall
(Al-Qasas, 78)
وَمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُم بِٱلَّتِى تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِندَنَا زُلْفَىٰٓ إِلَّا مَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ ٱلضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَهُمْ فِى ٱلْغُرُفَـٰتِ ءَامِنُونَ ٣٧
[And it is not your wealth nor your children that will bring you near unto Us, but he who believeth and doeth good (he draweth near). As for such, theirs will be a twofold reward for what they did and they will dwell securely in lofty halls].— M. Pickthall
(Saba', 37)
and,
أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِۦ مِن مَّالٍۢ وَبَنِينَ ٥٥
نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ ۚ بَل لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ ٥٦
{Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them. We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, [it is a Fitnah (trial) in this worldly life so that they will have no share of good things in the Hereafter] but they perceive not}.
(Al-Mu'minun, 55, 56)
When this ignorant was deluded by what he has been given in this present life, he denied the Hereafter and claimed that if it is to be there, he would find that which is better than what he was first given. When his companion (the believing man) heard him saying so, he said to him {during the talk with him}, i.e. during their debate. {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?},
i.e. do you disbelieve in the Day of Resurrection while you know that He, Allah, is Him Who created you out of the dust, then out of Nutfah, fashioned you in stages till you became a sound and well-erected man with hearing, sight, understanding and organs you transgress with! Then, how could you deny the Resurrection while you know that Allah is capable of creating you out of nothingness?
{But as for my part, (I believe) that He is Allah, my Lord}, i.e. I believe in other than what you believe in or even think of. As {(I believe) that He is Allah, my Lord, and none shall I associate as partner with my Lord}, i.e. I do not worship other than Him and I believe in that He will resurrect the dead and gather the scattered and rotten bones together, and I know that there is no partner with Allah in His Dominion or creation and that there is no god but Him.
Then, he guided him towards what should have been said upon entering the garden saying: {It was better for you to say, when you entered your garden: 'That which Allah wills (will come to pass)! There is no power but with Allah!'}, for this, it is better for anyone who becomes an admirer of any of his wealth, household, children, or status, should say these words:
(That which Allah wills (will come to pass)! There is no power but with Allah!).
Then, the believer said to the disbeliever: {If you see me less than you in wealth and children. It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden}, i.e. in the Hereafter. {And will send on it Husban (torment, bolt) from the sky}, i.e. torment or heavy rain that uproots its trees and plants, {then it will be a slippery earth},i.e. soft dust that does not grow plants or anything. {Or the water thereof (of the gardens) becomes deep-sunken (underground)} that is opposite to the overflowing water, {so that you will never be able to seek it}, i.e. you will never be able to restore or regain it. Then, Allah the Almighty says: {So his fruits were encircled (with ruin)}, i.e. all his fruits and plants were ruined and totally destroyed. {And he remained to clap his hands (with sorrow) over what he had spent upon it, while it was all destroyed on its trellises}, i.e. totally destroyed and perfectly ruined.
That was really against his hopes and wishes as he previously said: {I think not that this will ever perish}. So, he regretted his previous acts and sayings that declared him as a disbeliever in Allah the Almighty and he could only say: {Would that I had ascribed no partners to my Lord!}. Then, Allah the Almighty says: {And he had no group of men to help him against Allah, nor could he defend (or save) himself}, i.e. he could neither be helped by others nor even help himself. This is as the Statement of Allah that reads:
فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن قُوَّةٍۢ وَلَا نَاصِرٍۢ ١٠
{Then he will have no power, nor any helper},
(At-Tariq, 10)
and His Saying, {There (on the Day of Resurrection), Al-Walayah (protection, power, authority and kingdom) will be for Allah (Alone), the True God}, i.e. the irrefutable judgment and irresistible ruling on this and on all conditions will be for Allah the Almighty Alone. {He (Allah) is the Best for reward and the Best for the final end}, i.e. trading with Allah is better than anything else as He gives the best of all rewards and with Him rests the best of all ends and goals. Finally, this story denotes three things:
(a) One should not sell himself out to the luxuries of this present life of ours and should not be deluded thereof. Moreover, one should trust what is in Allah's Hand more than what is in his own hand. One should put his entire trust in Allah Alone. Obedience of Allah should be one's first and final goal. Anyone who prefers anything to Allah and His obedience surely will be tormented thereof.
(b) One should whole-heartedly accept the advice of his compassionate brother, as in rejecting his counselor's advice there rests complete destruction and perfect ruin.
(c) Regretting goes in vain if the Divine Decree is already done.
The Story is also related to the time of Rasulullah in Makkah in the first 13 years.
When Muhammad Rasulullah ﷺ was made a prophet, he lived for about 13 years in his city, Makkah. During that period, his people, the Quraysh, verbally and physically abused both him and those who believed in him, and only because they called to the worship of Allah alone without partners and such obvious moral principles as keeping family ties and not killing baby girls. It was thus that Makkah became divided into two factions– those who supported the prophet and those who opposed him.
Let’s look at an example from each of these two groups:
The Believer: Bilal ibn Rabah (radiyallahu ‘anh)
An Abyssinian slave, Bilal was from the lowest class of people in Makkah. When he heard the message of tawhid (belief in the oneness of Allah), he didn’t hesitate to become a Muslim, knowing full well the consequences of his conversion once it became known. And it became known soon.
Because Bilal believed in Allah and Muhammad Rasulullah ﷺ, his master tortured him horribly, taking him out in the desert, forcing him to lie down on his back on the hot sand, and putting rock boulders on his chest. While torturing him, his master kept demanding him to say words of kufr (disbelief) again and again. And all that Bilal kept repeating was: Ahadun Ahad! (One, one!), meaning Allah is the one God and there is nothing worthy of worship and obedience except Him, not even the owner of a slave.
The Disbeliever: Umayyah ibn Khalaf
He was from the highest class of people in Makkah, a respected elite, and guess what? He was also the master of Bilal we met above.
Bilal finally escaped from Umayyah, with the help of Allah, when Abu Bakr bought him from Umayyah and set him free.
Years passed, the Muslims migrated to Madinah, and finally, the prophet too immigrated, with the disbelievers in pursuit, seeking to kill him. After that came the first major battle fought by Muslims– the battle of Badr, against the Quraysh.
Bilal went to the battle, and Umayyah went too.
What was the battle cry of the Muslims? Ahadun Ahad!
Imagine the condition of Umayyah. He was probably almost having a heart attack when he heard these words– the same words repeated by his tortured former slave. And he was even more horrified when he watched the disbelievers being defeated.
When Bilal saw him, he went to a group of Ansar saying, “(Here is) Umaiya bin Khalaf! Woe to me if he escapes!” And they killed Umayyah the disbeliever.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 2301)
That is the fate of the torturer, and in the Hereafter more punishment awaits. May Allah save us from such a fate, and make us steadfast and strong like Bilal.
Allah ﷻ beautifully captures the important lessons we can learn from this story. He mentions the two factions:
قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ ءَايَةٌۭ فِى فِئَتَيْنِ ٱلْتَقَتَا ۖ فِئَةٌۭ تُقَـٰتِلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌۭ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْىَ ٱلْعَيْنِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةًۭ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرِ ١٣
Already there has been for you a sign in the two armies which met – one fighting in the cause of Allah and another of disbelievers. They saw them [to be] twice their [own] number by [their] eyesight. But Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Indeed in that is a lesson for those of vision.
[Quran, 3:13]
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