A Harvest Without Sharing

Today, children, we are going to tell you a story mentioned by Allah in the Quran, in Surah Al-Qalam, verses 17 to 33.

It is the story of several men who owned a garden and made a decision that would teach them a great lesson.

Listen carefully to what happened to them...

Once upon a time, there were men who owned a garden together.

The time of harvest had come, and the fruits were ready to be picked.

The owners then agreed on what they would do.

They would go to the garden very early the next morning, before others were awake, to harvest the fruits.

But they had made another decision.

This time, they did not want to let any poor person enter their garden.

They were determined to harvest the fruits without giving anything to them.

Their plan was set.

The next day, early in the morning, they called one another:

— Go early to your field, if you want to harvest.

They set off.

On the way, they spoke in low voices so as not to be heard.

They repeated to each other:

— Let no poor person enter it today against you.

They advanced with confidence.

In their minds, everything was planned.

They would arrive early.

They would harvest the fruits.

And the poor would receive nothing.

Then they finally reached their garden.

They looked ahead.

And stopped.

Something was wrong.

The garden they knew no longer had the appearance they had left the day before.

They looked around.

Then one of them thought he understood:

— We have lost our way.

They must have taken the wrong path.

It could not be their garden.

But as they observed the place more, they gradually understood a terrible thing.

They had not lost their way.

They had indeed arrived at the right place.

It was indeed their garden.

Only...

they had been deprived of their harvest.

While they were sleeping, a trial from their Lord had struck the garden.

What they thought they would find in the morning was no longer there.

A few hours earlier, they were still certain they could harvest everything.

They had even organized their departure so that no poor person could come.

And now, they stood before their garden, unable to enjoy what they had wanted to keep only for themselves.

Then one of them, the most righteous, reminded them of what he had already told them:

— Did I not tell you to glorify Allah?

This time, the others did not look for an excuse.

They understood their fault.

They said:

— Glory to our Lord! We have indeed been unjust.

Then they began to turn to one another and blame each other for what they had done.

They admitted:

— Woe to us! We have transgressed.

They had prepared their plan thinking only of what they could keep.

They had wanted to prevent the poor from receiving anything.

But they had just understood that they did not control what they possessed as they had imagined.

So their attitude changed.

They did not persist in their injustice.

They acknowledged their mistake and turned to Allah.

They said:

— Perhaps our Lord will give us something better in exchange. We desire to draw closer to our Lord.

They had left in the morning with the intention of depriving the poor.

They returned after understanding that they themselves had been deprived.

This story reminds us that what Allah grants us should never make us arrogant or miserly.

The owners of the garden thought that by preventing the poor from receiving a share, they would keep more for themselves.

But what they believed was assured was taken away from them.

And when they understood their fault, they did what a person must do when they realize they have erred:

they acknowledged their injustice, regretted their behavior, and turned to Allah.