The Garden of Arrogance

Every verse in the Quran carries an important message for us. Not a single verse is insignificant, as Allah does not do or say anything in vain. Today, let's look at one verse, Al-Kahf 18:35. Allah describes two owners of gardens, one of whom entered his garden while wronging himself. Logically speaking, can someone really wrong themselves? Typically, we think of people wronging others, which happens a lot. What would we call someone who wrongs themselves like this? Foolish, right? So, what is the wrongdoing against oneself?

He was ungrateful. Kufr is the act of being ungrateful. He felt proud of the blessings he had received. He felt accomplished, believing his efforts had succeeded and borne fruit. Kufr means that he was ungrateful for what Allah had granted him—a lush garden, rich in a variety of fruits, with flowing rivers. Not only that, Allah had also given him many followers and obedient workers. So what is the proof of his ingratitude?

What did he say?

"I do not think that this garden will ever perish."

The implied meaning is, "I have built this garden with a lot of hard work, careful planning, and considerable costs—setting up the best system for fertilization, irrigation, and hiring hardworking and numerous workers—surely this garden will continue to yield wonderful results." That is essentially what he said.

"And I do not think that the Hour will ever come. And if I am indeed brought back to my Lord, I will surely find something even better than this." (Al-Kahf 18:36)

So, what is the connection between this garden and our lives today? The garden symbolizes our livelihood—our office, the business we build. Reflecting on this verse, I wonder how many of us have missed the lesson here. Some people gain a high-paying job or a prestigious position, and their pride swells. Some build multi-million-dollar business empires, and they start to feel great, their speech changes, becoming different from when they first started their business. This happens because they begin to attribute all their success to their own efforts—the courses they attended, the training they undertook, the many skilled staff they hired, the impressive offices, the branches all over, and the steady income. They feel that this is the business they will leave behind for their heirs when they are gone. This business empire has stood for years, is stable, with skilled workers, and it will keep expanding. "My children will be well off and won't have to face the struggles I had in the past."

If we had such a business, would we not perhaps harbor similar feelings when stepping into "our garden"? Perhaps we would. It might even get worse; we could start looking down on those with less wealth than us. This is arrogance. And arrogance is what can cast a person into Hellfire. It was arrogance that led to Iblis being expelled from Heaven and being promised a place in Hell. Is throwing oneself into Hell not considered injustice to oneself? Yes, indeed.

He also said, "And I do not think that the Hour will ever come, and if I am indeed brought back to my Lord, I will surely find something even better than this." 

Al-Kahf 18:40

See, he felt that Allah loved him. What was the proof that made him think that? Because Allah had granted him abundant wealth and a prosperous life. "Even if I die, surely Allah will give me something even better." Yes, if Allah has given him this much in this world, surely the afterlife will be even more, right? He assumed he was destined for Paradise just because of the blessings he had received—not because of righteous deeds. Notice that?

Allah has granted us good lives, good jobs, good children, beautiful homes, wonderful offices, and good employees. Does that mean Allah loves and blesses us? Yes, people think so—that Allah loves them because He has given them so much. And they think that poor people struggle because Allah does not love them, that they are being tested. But is that really the case? Many of us think this way, but it is not necessarily true.

Prosperity can also be a test for us, perhaps an even greater one than hardship. This is what Allah wants to convey in Al-Kahf. Allah also granted Pharaoh, Qarun, and Haman greatness and wealth, but they perished because they wronged themselves. In this world, they faced calamities, let alone what they will face in the Hereafter. What about the Prophet's companions? Were many of them poor? Yes, many were. Some were so poor they didn't even have homes—they were known as "Ahlus Suffah." But what about their faith? What was their ending? MashaAllah, it was extraordinary.

Sometimes our business isn't even that big, it's just starting to show some success, and we already start feeling this way. Sometimes projects come in, and we get busy, forgetting what truly matters. Allah is just testing us—to see how we handle the blessings. Will we be grateful or ungrateful? That's what we need to remember.

Look at what Prophet Sulaiman said when he was granted immense wealth and a great kingdom in Surah An-Naml 27:40:

"This is by the grace of my Lord, to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is grateful, his gratitude is only for the benefit of himself. And whoever is ungrateful, then indeed my Lord is Free of need, Generous."

We don't even have a kingdom, yet we already feel great. So what does the Quran teach us? Pay attention to what his companion advised him.

"You should have said, when you entered your garden, مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ (This is as Allah wills! There is no power except with Allah)" (Al-Kahf 18:39).

There's nothing wrong with building a business or having a great job. Strong believers, like many of the Prophet's companions, were extraordinarily wealthy. But what did they do with their wealth? They didn't keep it for themselves—it was used for the benefit of others and for Islam. That is perhaps what distinguishes us from them. Remember, everything we have achieved, that successful business—it's not purely the result of our efforts. It is all by the grace of Allah. Allah made it easy. There are plenty of people who try all kinds of businesses and never succeed. After trying one and failing, they try another, still without success. Effort must be coupled with reliance on Allah. This is why it's so important to seek friends who remind us about our faith. Sometimes, we don't realize it—we become heedless because of the small blessings Allah gives us as a test. Allah only gave a little, and we already felt so great. Wallahu a'lam!