Stories form Qur'an - A brief compilation

Keeper of Garden

This keeper of the garden was a very pious and righteous man. The garden he keeps reaps massive amount of vegetable and crops every year. He only took whatever is enough for him and his family for the whole year and donate (sadqa, zakat) everything that remain from that harvest to the poor and needy people.

This became a custom that every year poor people came to him for the donation; His sons were observing this over the year, that there father given all of the wealth all of the crops to the poor that can make them wealthy; they can spend better life with that money but their father gave most of it to the needy. One of the sons follows this custom dutifully; he wanted to be a part and help his father in this practice. One day the father died and everything, the garden and crops and fruits are now in possession of all the sons. They became the owner of the property.

They planned a meeting to decide the agenda of this year's crops and fruits. They all come to the conclusion that they will all the harvest for themself; the profit of this year will be equally distributed among all brothers and they will be wealthy. They want to be rich, there greed over took their senses; except one of that righteous brother he objected and said do not forget that this is an evil deed.

He requested his brother to continue the practice of zakat, like his father and do not forgot that greed is a sin. He wanted to help the poor and needy and continue the legacy of his father; rest of the brother argued with him and parts him from the profit partnership.

All the greedy brothers teamed up and put all there effort to reap the best crops and fruits for the year end. They have decided to gain the maximum profits this year. They put all there effort and the righteous brother all played his part in this effort not for the profit but to make this year as successful as his father does.

The year ended with success and now the crops are reaped and fruits are ready to pluck; the garden is fully loaded like always it does every year. The brother made a plan to come early tomorrow and take all the crops to warehouse before any needy or poor showed up at garden.

When the righteous brother herd he opposed this plan; his brother infuriated and kick him out of the garden and told him to remain outside, he was keep arguing that they should not do this it's a sin, they must give to the penurious, Allah gave us all this so that we can distribute among needy and poor; But the other brothers took the oath that they will never give any of their wealth ever again.

Now the plan is set for tomorrow, every brother was on his high hope because they will be very rich next day, richer than ever. They all go to sleep with their big dream. But Allah (SWT) knows the best of all. When there is no one to see, Allah is watching your every deed. This is the point that they all forgot.

There was a visitor from Allah to that garden; some of the scholar of the tafseer writes that it was fire; this fire destroy everything that night, whole crop, fruits and vegetable all are gone. They became ashes upon ashes. There is nothing left in that garden except after signs of destruction that visited.

Before the dawn break the all brother woke up, and prepare them self for the reward of the effort they put over the year. They took there tools and start walking towards the garden. They were whispering with each other about the money they get from those crops and fruits. They didn't have a single idea about the garden, and what was waiting for them.

When they reach there garden, the same garden they spend their childhood, the lush green lands of that garden, the fragrance of fruits and crops of that garden, everything is gone now. All they saw was just ashes and ashes as far as they can see. One of their brother said i think we are lost; we came early in the dark that's why we lost our way to the garden. But as the dawn breaks they soon realize that this is there garden.

At the dawn break when the righteous brother came to the garden and saw everything, he shouted on other, didn't i told you; didn't i warned you about this? Didn't i remind you not to do this evil deed? Fear Allah (SWT) for what you are planning. The brothers started to blame one another; but in the end they all know that every one of them is involved in this plan. It was a mutual agreement between all of them.

Now they all accepted that they have transgressed the limits of Allah; and now that their garden is gone and they are needy person like other who came every year to take some donation from their father. They decide to go back to Allah and repent for what they have did and pray Allah to give them something better than this.

Allah (SWT) the most merciful accepted there repentance and gave them better in the world and hereafter. This story from Quran told us that we should not follow the path of greed and everything we have in this world and hereafter is belongs to Allah (SWT) only. Always seek protection from Allah; he is the most merciful; especially merciful.