There is no harm in earning more if one wants to lead a comfortable life, so long it is warned the Halal (permissible) way. But amassing wealth from Haram (not permissible) means through unfair means like corruption and usurping rights of others is never prescribed in any society. Wealth itself isn’t evil—in the Qur’an it’s a ni‘mah (blessing). But it has a unique power to quietly corrupt the heart if it’s not controlled - that is why Allah in Al Qur'an calls wealth a fitnah (test).
This is the theme of a parable mentioned in Surah Al-Qalam (68:17–33) — often called “the story of the أصحاب الجنة (People of the Garden).” It is one of the Qur’an’s most subtle and powerful lessons on how wealth can corrupt quietly, without a person even realizing it. Let us read the parable and see how money corrupts a man, him not even realizing it:
The Story (Simple Summary)
Allah says He tested the people of Makkah just like He tested a group of men who owned a lush garden (orchard). The story began from a noble man who harvested a garden and was always blessed with the best produce since he used to give out a portion of it to the poor. For this noble act, Allah blessed him with more with each yield. But after his death, his sons who inherited the garden were not not as generous as their fathers to dole out a part of the produce in charity. So, they made a secret plan: “We will harvest it early in the morning… and we will not allow any poor person to enter.” (68:23–24)
And obviously, their greed for more made them exclude the needy intentionally. And quite naturally Allah did not like their sinister plan and destroyed their garden overnight. And when the owners arrived in the morning, they were shocked to see a devastated garden. Initially they thought they have lost their way and come to a different place. But then they realized: “No, we have been deprived.” (68:27)
And then the though dawned on them and admitted their greed which corrupted their hearts and took away the gratitude of thanking Allah for the blessing them: “Glory be to our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers.” (68:29)
Why this is called “Wealth corrupts silently”
The story is not about sudden evil — it is about gradual moral decline which slowly polluted their heart and mind from doing good. They never knew that it is not greed but remembrance and gratitude that brings blessing and pleasure of Allah. Let us see how ordinary men are lured into evil:
- They were not originally evil
- Their father was righteous and obviously inherited goodness and knew what was charity.
- But their hearts and minds started to corrupt after wealth started to land into their hands.
- The corruption was internal first
- They didn’t initially act — they first changed intention and planned secretly, agreed on not paying charity and justified their decision.
- This shows that Moral سقوط (decline) begins first in the mind and intention, not in action.
- They used strategy to avoid responsibility
- They said: “Let’s go early - So no poor person sees us”
- This is very subtle: They didn’t deny charity openly - but engineered a way around it.
- This is silent corruption: Not rejecting الخير (good), but avoiding it cleverly.
- They forgot to say “In Shā’Allāh”
- The Qur’an points this out: “They did not make any exception (i.e., say ‘if Allah wills’).” (68:18)
- That is they thet though that they had become self-reliant and were in full control and ignored dependence on Allah
- This is spiritual corruption behind material greed.
- The punishment was immediate and symbolic
- The wrath of Allah does not fall immediately inn many cases. But sometimes an immediate Divine reaction is needed to teach timely lesson to someone.
- In this case, their garden — source of pride — was destroyed overnight.
- This was to teach a lesson that the same wealth that gives security can vanish instantly if one is not grateful to Allah for His blessings.
- Realization came only after loss
- It is human nature that realization comes only when after one loses.
- In this case, only when everything was gone did they say: “Indeed, we were wrongdoers.”
- This reflects a deep human pattern " People often recognize فساد (corruption) after consequences appear."
Deep Psychological Message
- This parable shows that wealth corrupts not always through: (1) Arrogance, (2) Oppression - open ظلم.
- But through subtle shifts like Greed, neglect of the poor and loss of gratitude
- This is far more dangerous because: The person still thinks they are “good.”
Modern Relevance
This story applies directly today:
- Corporate greed: Profit over people and avoiding responsibility through systems
- Personal wealth: “I earned it, I deserve it” - Ignoring zakāh/charity spirit
- Global inequality: Hoarding resources, Structuring systems that exclude the needy
- Psychological state: Comfort leading to forgetfulness of Allah leads to Subtle hardening of the heart
The Central Lesson
The Qur’an is teaching that though Wealth is not the problem — What wealth does to the heart is the problem.
The Final Warning (68:33) After the story, Allah says: “Such is the punishment — but the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if only they knew.”
This means that this worldly loss was a warning - the real danger is moral failure leading to the Hereafter
One-line summary: The parable of the garden in Surah Al-Qalam shows that wealth can corrupt silently by changing intentions, creating entitlement, and distancing the heart from Allah and the needy — until a person loses both moral clarity and divine blessing.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Surah 68 Al Qalam (The Pen) already published. You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
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An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
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