Islamic stories

Suratul Qalam: The people of the garden

This story is mentioned in Suratul Qalam chapter 68.

A righteous pious man, who was blessed with a lot of wealth from Allah(S.W), had a lot of gardens and farms. And this man; He had children. He was fearful to Allah and mindful of Allah's obligations upon him. Every year, he harvests a lot of fruits, vegetables and crops from his farm. He would only take what is enough for him, his family and for his children for the whole year. But the garden was luscious that there was always more.

Everything that was extra from what they needed for that year, he would give it away in zakat and sadaqa and in the charity to the poor. And this is what he did every year in his life. And his children and sons were always watching that. Most of them weren't happy with the action of their father and majority of his children wanted the entire crops, fruit and vegetable of the season harvest stays to them, for them to keep and the rest to sell so that they can get money.

It became a custom that at the end of the season, the poor and the needy wait at the garden of their father for them to take and gain whatever the righteous man would give them. But, then the father died. And now the children are the owners of the gardens and are in control of them. What did they do?

They got together and say: "We need to stop this practice, that we disapprove of at the time of our father. He was wasting our wealth away. Had he not do that; we would be a wealthy family."

One of them objected on this and told the others;" We need to continue the legacy of our father, continue feeding and give to the poor and needy." But majority of them went against this one righteous brother.

What was there plan? They decided that year after they have harvested they will stop anything to be given to the poor and needy. Early in the morning before the poor and needy arrive in the gardens, they will rip and harvest the fruits and crops and by the time the needy and poor come to the farm they would be nothing for them to take.

The day before the harvest, they went to bed knowing that they had a very good and the best plans, knowing that they would be rich and wealthy.

Allah(S.W) then tell us what happened that night, some scholars translated it was a fire that ruined that garden. While they were asleep, completely unaware of Allah's plan, the evergreen beautiful filled with fruit garden became black by morning. The whole garden had been burned, It became ashes upon ashes. All because of the evil and wrong intention they had.

Before dawn, they woke up early in the morning; in the dark, they took their farming equipment's. Happy and excited they are going to reap the best profit that year. So, they left the house and were moving while conversing in secret low voices saying;" this is all our". Allah then mocked them and mocked their plan.

When they reached their gardens; they saw the garden's black, it was destroyed there was nothing there. So, they say amongst each other:" obviously we are lost. This is not our garden, this is not the garden we were here yesterday. Maybe we misguided our way." But on looking around them it was that same garden, that same way the always take to it, the same hills, river neighboring it were still there.

They realized it was the punishment of Allah upon them for their wrong intention and wrong doings. They started to blame one another and in the end they realized it was all their fault. They started to ask forgiveness from Allah(S.W). They intended wrong but in the end they realized their mistakes and they repented to Allah(S.W). And Allah always forgive those who repent to him.

This story relates to the current situation in the world, the Pandemic.

Allah(S.W) says:" That it is when something like that happens, we have to go review ourselves like these people review themselves."

Shukran. Jazakumu Allahu kheir.