Many similitudes can be presented of what is often witnessed at communal and individual levels. So O Prophet^-SW! Present before these infidels the similitude of the two friends. One of them was blessed with affluence. He owned vineyards surrounded by date palms with a fertile piece of land in the middle. His land yielded bounties like grapes, dates and grain simultaneously, in sufficient quantities throughout the year. Right through his gardens a river was flowing, which kept them ever green and laden with seasonal fruits. While the owner of these gardens was affluent, the other friend was not so well off.

One day the rich friend gave vent to his inner thoughts and said to his friend: "Compared to you, I am very affluent and influential. There are many people who obey me, but you, my friend, consider my beliefs and practices to be ungodly. You believe in Allaah^-SWT and are hopeful of reward from Him^-SWT . But what I see is just the opposite. Had you been right, all these favours I enjoy would have been with you." He entered his garden in conceit and, blinded by his prosperity, commented: "Can such flourishing gardens with a river flowing through ever perish? Certainly not! And what people say about the Day of Judgment is, in my opinion, a hoax concocted as a consolation by the poor.

However, if it is true and I do have to return to Allah^-SWT, I will be given even better gardens than these. Because according to you, Jannah is better than this world and will be awarded to His^-SWT chosen people and my affluence is an evidence to the fact that I am Allah^-SWT's chosen person".

Just as today it is often said of a rich person that Allaah^-SWT has favoured him amply. The level of morality and beliefs is often over looked while making such remarks. It must be remembered, that worldly affluence is a blessing only when complimented by faith; otherwise its a misfortune. However, his believing friend said rather emphatically: "You are denying such a Magnificent Creator Who created you out of a handful of dust." In His^-SWT grand system, this dust produces food, which becomes part of human bodies. Then it turns into a droplet of semen and is planted into the mother's womb and Allaah^-SWT fashions it into a perfect human being.

"If you insist on denial," he said, "I will not be influenced by your wealth so as to follow you. My belief is that Allaah^-SWT is my Rabb^-SWT Who^-SWT fulfils my needs and I do not ascribe any partners in His^-SWT Being and in His^-SWT Attributes. It would have been much better for you if upon entering your garden, you had said. ‘Allaah^-SWT be praised. There is no power save Him. Everything occurs by His^-SWT Command.' You should have been thankful to Allaah^-SWT seeing me lesser in wealth, power or kin than yourself rather than resorting to denial. Allaah^-SWT is all Powerful, He^-SWT may bless me with superior gardens than yours if He^-SWT pleases. He^-SWT can also decree a calamity upon your gardens reducing these to waste. And you may be left wistfully dumbfounded upon seeing a barren field in front of you. He^-SWT is all Powerful to command the river to dry up, on which the gardens thrive, which would then be ruined and you can by no means bring the water back."

And this was exactly what happened; His gardens were uprooted because of his arrogance and defiance. One morning when he entered his gardens, he found them totally ruined. He was thunderstruck to behold the devastation, and began lamenting: "Had I not ascribed partners to Allah^-SWT, such a calamity would not have struck. Or even if this worldly loss was to be incurred at least my reward in the Akhirah would have stayed. Now I have destroyed both!" but his wealth and servants could not help him in the least and it became evident that all powers rest with Allaah^-SWT and only His^-SWT Rule and Authority truly prevails. Only His^-SWT Favour can benefit people both here and in the Hereafter. Otherwise nothing can be of any avail in this life and the next.