وَما أَظُنُّ السّاعَةَ قائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُدِدتُ إِلىٰ رَبّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيرًا مِنها مُنقَلَبًا

“And I don’t think the Hour will ever come. And even if I’m returned to my Lord, I will surely find something better in place of it.”

قالَ لَهُ صاحِبُهُ وَهُوَ يُحاوِرُهُ أَكَفَرتَ بِالَّذي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُطفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوّاكَ رَجُلًا

His companion said to him while conversing with him, “Do you deny the One who created you from dust, then from a drop, and then developed you into a man?

لـٰكِنّا هُوَ اللَّهُ رَبّي وَلا أُشرِكُ بِرَبّي أَحَدًا

But He, God, is my Lord, and I don’t associate anyone with my Lord.

وَلَولا إِذ دَخَلتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلتَ ما شاءَ اللَّهُ لا قُوَّةَ إِلّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنا أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مالًا وَوَلَدًا

Why didn’t you say, when you entered into your garden, Whatever God wills, there is no strength except in God, though you see me lesser than you in wealth and children.’

فَعَسىٰ رَبّي أَن يُؤتِيَنِ خَيرًا مِن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرسِلَ عَلَيها حُسبانًا مِنَ السَّماءِ فَتُصبِحَ صَعيدًا زَلَقًا

Perhaps my Lord will give me something better than your garden, and He may send upon it a calamity from the sky, reducing it to a smooth, slippery plain.

وَأُحيطَ بِثَمَرِهِ فَأَصبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيهِ عَلىٰ ما أَنفَقَ فيها وَهِيَ خاوِيَةٌ عَلىٰ عُروشِها وَيَقولُ يا لَيتَني لَم أُشرِك بِرَبّي أَحَدًا

And his fruits were encircled, and he started wringing his hands in regret over all that he had invested in it, while it lay in ruins on its trellises. He said, “I wish I had not associated anyone with my Lord.”

وَلَم تَكُن لَهُ فِئَةٌ يَنصُرونَهُ مِن دونِ اللَّهِ وَما كانَ مُنتَصِرًا

There was no party to assist him against God, nor was he capable of helping himself.

هُنالِكَ الوَلايَةُ لِلَّهِ الحَقِّ ۚ هُوَ خَيرٌ ثَوابًا وَخَيرٌ عُقبًا

All sovereignty belongs only to God, the Truth. He is the best at rewarding and the best at determining outcomes.

وَاضرِب لَهُم مَثَلَ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا كَماءٍ أَنزَلناهُ مِنَ السَّماءِ فَاختَلَطَ بِهِ نَباتُ الأَرضِ فَأَصبَحَ هَشيمًا تَذروهُ الرِّياحُ ۗ وَكانَ اللَّهُ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ مُقتَدِرًا

And give them an example of the life of this world: it’s like water that We send down from the sky, absorbed by the earth’s plants, and it becomes debris that the winds scatter. God has the power over all things.

المالُ وَالبَنونَ زينَةُ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ۖ وَالباقِياتُ الصّالِحاتُ خَيرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوابًا وَخَيرٌ أَمَلًا

Wealth and children are the embellishments of worldly life. But the enduring righteous deeds hold more outstanding merit with your Lord, both in reward and hope.