Surah Al-Qalam — Verse 25

Word Meanings:

• Ghadaū (وَغَدَوْا): They went out early in the morning, at the time of dawn or first light.
• Ḥard (حَرْد): This means preventing, withholding, or a firm resolve to deny something. It also carries the sense of anger and indignation that drives one to such a decision.
• Qādirīn (قَادِرِينَ): Literally "able" or "capable," but here it refers to their self-perceived ability and determination to carry out their plan, believing they had full power to do so.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse continues the story of the owners of the garden who had decided, in their arrogance and stinginess, to harvest all their fruits secretly at dawn so that no poor or needy person could share in what Allah had blessed them with. They had sworn to do this while adding no exception or reliance on Allah's will, saying, "We will surely go out at dawn to harvest, and no poor person shall eat from it."

Now, Allah describes their state: "And they went out at early morning, firmly resolved in their denial and prevention, thinking themselves fully capable." They set off at the crack of dawn, filled with determination and a hardened resolve to withhold the charity and right that the poor had over their wealth. They felt powerful, confident in their own strength and planning, as if nothing could stand in their way. They believed they had complete control over their garden and their destiny—unaware that Allah, the All-Powerful, had already decreed their garden to be destroyed overnight as a punishment for their greed and lack of gratitude.

This scene paints a vivid picture of human arrogance: the illusion of self-sufficiency, the belief that one's wealth and plans are entirely in one's own hands, and the hardening of the heart against the rights of others. Yet, in the very next verses, we learn that they found their garden turned into a black, desolate ruin, and they realized their grave error—but only after it was too late.

A Call to Reflection and Faith:

Dear reader, this story is not merely a historical account; it is a timeless lesson for every soul. How often do we, too, wake up with plans and ambitions, feeling capable and self-assured, while forgetting that every blessing we possess—our wealth, our health, our time—is a trust from Allah? The owners of the garden forgot that the true Provider is Allah alone, and that in every blessing there is a right for others, a share for the needy and the poor.

Islam teaches us a beautiful and liberating truth: when you give for the sake of Allah, your wealth does not decrease; rather, it grows in blessing and barakah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Charity does not decrease wealth." When you open your hand to give, Allah opens His gates of mercy upon you. When you withhold, you only close the doors of goodness upon yourself.

Let this verse inspire you to examine your own heart: Are you attached to your wealth as if it were your own forever? Or do you recognize it as a trust from Allah, to be spent in ways that please Him? The owners of the garden learned the hard way that their "power" was nothing before the power of Allah. But you, dear reader, have the opportunity to learn this lesson before it is too late—by giving generously, by thanking Allah for His blessings, and by always saying, "If Allah wills" (In shaa Allah), for no plan succeeds except by His will.

May Allah make us among those who are grateful, generous, and humble before Him, and may He protect us from the arrogance of those who think they are self-sufficient. Ameen.