"Coin for them a similitude..."

Assalaamu'alaykum warahmatullah,

Today, inshaAllah I'd like to share with you one of the stories from Suratul Kahf (The Cave), verses 32 -44.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, out of His Mercy, gives us many examples of men and nations in the Qur'an, in order for us to reflect and learn from their mistakes.

Coin for them a similitude:

Two men, to one of whom We had assigned two gardens of grapes, and We had surrounded both with date-palms and had out between them tillage. Each of the gardens gave its fruit and withheld nothing of it. And We caused a river to gush out in it.
And he had fruit.
And he said to his comrade, when he spoke to him:
I am more than you in wealth, and stronger in respect of men.
And he went into his garden, while he wronged himself. He said:
I think not that this will ever perish. I think not that the Hour will ever come, and if indeed I am brought back to my Lord I surely shall find better than this as a resort.

His comrade, when he spoke with him, exclaimed:
Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you of dust, then a drop (of seed), and then fashioned you into a man?
But He is Allah, my Lord, and I ascribe to my Lord no partner.
If only, when you entered your garden, you had said: That which Allah wills (will come to pass)! There is no strength except in Allah!
Though you see me as less than you in wealth and children, yet it may be that my Lord will give me better than your garden, and will send on it a bolt from heaven and some morning it will be a smooth hillside, or some morning the water of it will be lost in the earth so you can not make search for it.

And his fruit was beset (with destruction). Then he began 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 against Allah, nor could he save himself.

In this case
protection is only from Allah,
the True,
He is best for reward,
and
best for consequence.

May He the Almighty give us the ability to appreciate all the blessings he has bestowed upon us. Ameen.

Surely, gratefulness is a shackle to goodness.

Masalaama,

Samia =)