Verse 18:42 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

38 لَّـٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّی وَلَاۤ أُشۡرِكُ بِرَبِّیۤ أَحَدࣰا ۝٣٨ lākinnā huwa l-lahu rabbī walā ush'riku birabbī aḥada But, for me, He is God, my Lord, and I will never set up any partner with Him 39 وَلَوۡلَاۤ إِذۡ دَخَلۡتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلۡتَ مَا شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالࣰا وَوَلَدࣰا ۝٣٩ walawlā idh dakhalta jannataka qul'ta mā shāa l-lahu lā quwwata illā bil-lahi in tarani anā aqalla minka mālan wawalada If only, when you entered your garden, you had said, “This is God’s will. There is no power not [given] by God.” Although you see I have less wealth and offspring than you 40 فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّیۤ أَن یُؤۡتِیَنِ خَیۡرࣰا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَیُرۡسِلَ عَلَیۡهَا حُسۡبَانࣰا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ فَتُصۡبِحَ صَعِیدࣰا زَلَقًا ۝٤٠ faʿasā rabbī an yu'tiyani khayran min jannatika wayur'sila ʿalayhā ḥus'bānan mina l-samāi fatuṣ'biḥa ṣaʿīdan zalaqa my Lord may well give me something better than your garden, and send thunderbolts on your garden from the sky, so that it becomes a heap of barren dust 41 أَوۡ یُصۡبِحَ مَاۤؤُهَا غَوۡرࣰا فَلَن تَسۡتَطِیعَ لَهُۥ طَلَبࣰا ۝٤١ aw yuṣ'biḥa māuhā ghawran falan tastaṭīʿa lahu ṭalaba or its water may sink so deep into the ground that you will never be able to reach it again.’

42 وَأُحِیطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصۡبَحَ یُقَلِّبُ كَفَّیۡهِ عَلَىٰ مَاۤ أَنفَقَ فِیهَا وَهِیَ خَاوِیَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَیَقُولُ یَـٰلَیۡتَنِی لَمۡ أُشۡرِكۡ بِرَبِّیۤ أَحَدࣰا ۝٤٢ wa-uḥīṭa bithamarihi fa-aṣbaḥa yuqallibu kaffayhi ʿalā mā anfaqa fīhā wahiya khāwiyatun ʿalā ʿurūshihā wayaqūlu yālaytanī lam ush'rik birabbī aḥada And so it was: his fruit was completely destroyed, and there he was, wringing his hands over what he had invested in it, as it drooped on its trellises, and saying, ‘I wish I had not set up any partner to my Lord.’

43 وَلَمۡ تَكُن لَّهُۥ فِئَةࣱ یَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا ۝٤٣ walam takun lahu fi-atun yanṣurūnahu min dūni l-lahi wamā kāna muntaṣira He had no forces to help him other than God- he could not even help himself 44 هُنَالِكَ ٱلۡوَلَـٰیَةُ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡحَقِّۚ هُوَ خَیۡرࣱ ثَوَابࣰا وَخَیۡرٌ عُقۡبࣰا ۝٤٤ hunālika l-walāyatu lillahi l-ḥaqi huwa khayrun thawāban wakhayrun ʿuq'ba In that situation, the only protection is that of God, the True God: He gives the best rewards and the best outcome 45 وَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَا كَمَاۤءٍ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ فَٱخۡتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَأَصۡبَحَ هَشِیمࣰا تَذۡرُوهُ ٱلرِّیَـٰحُۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ مُّقۡتَدِرًا ۝٤٥ wa-iḍ'rib lahum mathala l-ḥayati l-dun'yā kamāin anzalnāhu mina l-samāi fa-ikh'talaṭa bihi nabātu l-arḍi fa-aṣbaḥa hashīman tadhrūhu l-riyāḥu wakāna l-lahu ʿalā kulli shayin muq'tadira Tell them, too, what the life of this world is like: We send water down from the skies and the earth’s vegetation absorbs it, but soon the plants turn to dry stubble scattered about by the wind: God has power over everything 46 ٱلۡمَالُ وَٱلۡبَنُونَ زِینَةُ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۖ وَٱلۡبَـٰقِیَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَیۡرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابࣰا وَخَیۡرٌ أَمَلࣰا ۝٤٦ al-mālu wal-banūna zīnatu l-ḥayati l-dun'yā wal-bāqiyātu l-ṣāliḥātu khayrun ʿinda rabbika thawāban wakhayrun amala Wealth and children are the attractions of this worldly life, but lasting good works have a better reward with your Lord and give better grounds for hope