owners of the garden

penulis bercerita..cerita dahulu kala..

Once there was a wealthy pious man. He had a big garden full of green trees laden with fruits. After the fruits were picked, this rightful man used to distribute some fruits among the poor who would gather at the garden every season to take their share.

Allah liked this act of the man. By the grace of Allah, the garden used to give rich harvest every season. Truly, one who spends for the sake of Allah gets the reward in the hereafter as well as in this life.

This man had many sons who were not so pious as him. When their father died, they discussed a plan and said to each other that their father was not a wise man. He did not know it was difficult to earn livelihood. They did not like the habit of distributing some of the fruits among the poor. They felt as if all their efforts would go to vain if the poor had some share.

On of the sons had a concern. What will they tell the poor people when they gather to take their fruits next time? They thought over its implications, as they were worried about losing their prestige. However, they were not afraid of Allah's wrath. One of them suggested removing all the fruits in the night and thus clearing the garden before dawn so that nobody could come and ask for his share. Everyone agreed to this suggestion. Since they were not even afraid of Allah, they forgot to say 'insyaAllah'. ...they swore to pluck the fruits of the garden in the morning, without saying 'insyaAllah'  (al qalam verses 17-18)

All the brothers went to sleep with a view to getting up early in the morning and gather the ripe fruits. In the meantime, with the Will of Allah"...there passed by on the (garden) a visitation (fire) from your Lord at night and burnt it while they were asleep." (al-qalam verse 19)

In the early morning, all of them got up and hurried up and"..called out one to another as soon as the morning broke, Saying: 'Go to your tilth in the morning, if you would pluck the fruits.' So they departed, conversing in secret low tones(saying), No Miskin (poor man) shall enter upon you into it today." (Verses 21-24)

As the were proceeding toward the garden, they were quite unaware that Allah had willed otherwise. Because the garden had become "black by the morning like a pitch dark night (in complete ruins)" (Verse 20). So when they reached the garden, they said this was not their garden, and that they had strayed away from the right path to the garden, but when they saw there was no other way around, they were wonder struck! Soon they realized the situation and yelled: "Verily, we have gone astray, "Nay! Indeed we deprived of (the fruits)!" The best among them said: "Did I not say to you 'Why not glorify (Allah)'?" (Verses 26-28).