۞ Propound thou unto them the similitude of two men. We appointed to one of them two gardens of vine and hedged both with date-palms, and We placed in-between the twain tillage. 32 Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow. 33 so he had fruit. As he spoke with his companion, as he was conversing with him, 'My wealth is more abundant than yours and men have a greater respect for me' 34 Then he entered his vine-yard and said, wronging himself: "Surely, I do not believe that all this will ever perish. 35 And I do not think the hour will come, and even if I am returned to my Lord I will most certainly find a returning place better than this. 36 His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned thee into a man? 37 But as for myself, [I know that] He is God, my Sustainer; and I cannot attribute divine powers to any but my Sustainer." 38 If only, when thou enteredst 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, 39 my Lord may well give me a garden better than yours and send down thunderbolts from heaven upon your vineyard, turning it into a barren waste; 40 or, in the morning its water will be drained into the earth so that you will not have a means to reach it' 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 And there was no host, beside Allah, to help him, nor could he be of any help to himself. 43 In this case is protection only from Allah, the True, He is Best for reward, and best for consequence. 44