Al-Kahf (The Cave)

32. “And (O’ Prophet!) coin for them a parable: Two men, We made for one of them two gardens of vines and We surrounded them with date-palms and We placed between them tillage.”

33. “Both of the gardens gave their fruits and withheld naught thereof: and We caused a river to gush forth in their midst.”

34. “And he had fruits (in abundance), so he said to his companion, as he was conversing with him: ‘I have greater wealth than you, and am mightier in respect of men’.”

35. “And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said: ‘I do not think that this will ever perish,”

36. “And I do not think that the Hour (of Resurrection) will come, and even if I am returned unto my Lord, I shall surely find a better resort than this’.”

From this verse on, Allah, the Exalted, tells a story that by hearing it people may come to themselves and obey Allah, and desist committing sins and ingratitude.

For this very purpose, He addresses His Prophet (S) and says:

“And (O’ Prophet!) coin for them a parable: Two men, We made for one of them two gardens of vines and We surrounded them with date-palms and We placed between them tillage.”

It was a fertile field with two gardens of vines and dates in addition to farms of wheat and kinds of corn, so that everything was complete in it.

These two gardens, from the point of agricultural products, were matured and the fruits of their trees were wholly in full maturation and their farmings were going to be harvested, in a manner that nothing was withheld therein.

The holy verse says:

“Both of the gardens gave their fruits and withheld naught thereof…”

Most important of all was water, the cause of the life of every thing, and in gardens and farmings there, in particular, it was available enough, since, as the verse says:

“…and We caused a river to gush forth in their midst.”

Thus, the possessor of those couple of gardens and farming had got many kinds of fruit and so much income.

The holy verse says:

“And he had fruits (in abundance)…”

But, since the world was in his favour, and those who are of little capacity and are in lack of personality, when everything is in their favour, they become proud and begin disobedience, the first stage of which is self-admiration and arrogance upon others, the owner of those couple of gardens started speaking with his friend.

The verse continues saying:

“…so he said to his companion, as he was conversing with him: ‘I have greater wealth than you, and am mightier in respect of men’.”

Therefore, he told his friend that, in comparison with him, he had many men in his authority and also he had both abundance of wealth, and social position and influence. Then he asked his companion what he could say and what he had to utter.

Little by title, as it is usual, these thoughts went on to be upper and upper in him, so much so that he considered the world was eternal and his wealth and honour were perpetual for him. So, he proudly entered his garden.

He looked round unto the green trees therein, the branches of which had come down unto the ground because of the height of the fruits, and unto the ears of corn, which were spread clinging every side, when he was listening to the sound of the river which was flowing forward, watering the trees, he neglectfully said that he did not think that destruction and mortality could fall over it.

The verse says:

“And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said: ‘I do not think that this will ever perish,”

He went even further than that and, since the eternity of this world contrasts the fulfillment of Resurrection, he thought of the denial of Hereafter and said:

“And I do not think that the Hour (of Resurrection) will come…”

He thought that these ideas are some things that a group of people had invented to please themselves.

Then, he imagined if there were a resurrection in the course he would have a high rank and personality, and he added:

“…and even if I am returned unto my Lord, I shall surely find a better resort than this’.”

He was wandering in these useless imaginations, and every moment he added some new vain words to his former undue words. Then his faithful friend began speaking and rejected his vain statements, which will be dealt with in the following discussions.

Note

The Arabic term /’ukul/ means some products and fruits which are edible while the term /amar/ is applied for kinds of fruit, and sorts of wealth and properties; it is even called to ‘trees’, too.

These verses can lead us to some principles of planting and keeping typical and attractive gardens. These leadings are as follows:

A. The low and short trees may be planted in the middle, (vines), and the tall trees around the garden, (date-palms).

B. Gardens may be arranged separate with each other, so that there can be left a distance between them, (and We put between them).

C. The lands of the distance between gardens should be formed, (between them tillage).

D. Water ought to be gushed forth in the midst of the gardens, (and We cause a river to gush forth in their midst).

E. Gardens must not be hollow, weak and calamitous, (and withheld naught thereof).

Therefore, the best views of the gardens are the vine gardens with various grapes, and those that have vines and date-palms with together, and kinds of farming (tillage) are in between the gardens (and We Surrounded them) and that streams flow beneath the trees and beside the farms, (and We caused a river to gush forth in their midst).