Owners
of the Garden
Once there was a wealthy and pious man. He had a big garden
full of green trees laden with fruits. After the fruits were
picked, this rightful man used to distribute some fruits among
the poor who would gather at the garden every season to take
their share.
Allah liked this act of the man. By the grace of Allah the
garden used to give rich harvest every season. Truly, one
who spends for the sake of Allah gets the reward in the hereafter
as well as in this life.
This man had many sons who were not so pious as him. When
their father died, they discussed a plan and said to each
other that their father was not a wise man. He did not know
how it was difficult to earn livelihood. They did not like
the habit of distributing some of the fruits among the poor.
They felt as if all their efforts would go to vain if the
poor had some share.
One of the sons had a concern. What will they tell the poor
people when they gather to take their fruits next time? They
thought over its implications, as they were worried about
losing their prestige. However, they were not afraid of Allah's
wrath. One of them suggested removing all the fruits in the
night and thus clearing the garden before dawn so that nobody
could come and ask for his share. Everyone agreed to this
suggestion. Since they were not even afraid of Allah, they
forgot to say 'Insha-Allah', which means if Allah Wills, "…they
swore to pluck the fruits of the (garden) in the morning,
without saying Insha-Allah ('if Allah Wills')" (Verses 17-18).
If a Muslim does not say Insha-Allah before doing something
Allah may not fulfill his wish. But those who have no faith
in Allah fail to remember this and get stuck up in their act.
Allah is all Powerful. He knows no bounds in His Governance.
All the brothers went to sleep with a view to getting up early
in the morning and gather the ripe fruits. In the meantime,
with the Will of Allah "…there passed by on the (garden) a
visitation (fire) from your Lord at night and burnt it while
they were asleep." (Verse 19)
In the early morning, all of them got up and hurried up and
"…called out one to another as soon as the morning broke,
Saying: 'Go to your tilth in the morning, if you would pluck
the fruits.' So they departed, conversing in secret low tones
(saying), No Miskin (poor man) shall enter upon you into it
today." (Verses 21-24)
As they were proceeding towards the garden, they were quite
unaware that Allah had willed otherwise. Because the garden
had become "black by the morning, like a pitch dark night
(in complete ruins)" (Verse 20). So when they reached the
garden, they said this was not their garden, and that they
had strayed away from the right path to the garden. But when
they saw there was no other way around, they were wonder struck!
Soon they realized the situation and yelled: "Verily, we have
gone astray," "Nay! Indeed we are deprived of (the fruits)!"
The best among them said: "Did I not say to you 'Why not glorify
(Allah)'?" (Verses 26-28). He had been advising them earlier
against this act, for he had said it is only Allah who would
enhance their fruits if they continued to give away some of
them in charity.
All of them felt regretful over their misdeed. They turned,
to one another, in reproach and said: "Glory to our Lord!
Verily we have been doing wrong. Alas for us! We have indeed
transgressed!" All of them, then, sought Allah's pardon and
said: "We hope that our Lord will give us in exchange a better
(garden) than this. Truly, we turn to our Lord (wishing for
good that He may forgive our sins, and reward us in the Hereafter)."
(Verses 31-32)
It is very beloved to Allah that we share with the less fortunate
whatever we have. While some of us only feel hungry during
the month of Ramadan, there are many who are hungry everyday.
Let us be more generous with our wealth and help all those
who are in need. We will not lose anything by giving away
some of our wealth, we will only gain.
The following story is mentioned in Surah Qalam, Chapter
68 of the Holy Quran.
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