ONE AYAT A DAY
اَيَوَدُّ اَحَدُكُمْ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ لَهٗ جَنَّةٌ مِّنْ نَّخِيْلٍ وَّاَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْاَنْهٰرُۙ لَهٗ فِيْهَا مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرٰتِۙ وَاَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهٗ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاۤءُۚ فَاَصَابَهَآ اِعْصَارٌ فِيْهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ لَكُمُ الْاٰيٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُوْنَ ࣖ
Ayawaddu aḥadukum an takūna lahū jannatum min nakhīliw wa a‘nābin tajrī min taḥtihal-anhār(u), lahū fīhā min kulliṡ-ṡamarāt(i), wa aṣābahul-kibaru wa lahū żurriyyatun ḍu‘afā'(u), fa'aṣābahā i‘ṣārun fīhi nārun faḥtaraqat, każālika yubayyinullāhu lakumul-āyāti la‘allakum tatafakkarūn(a).
Would one of you like to have a garden of palm trees and grapevines underneath which rivers flow in which he has from every fruit? But he is afflicted with old age and has weak [i.e., immature] offspring, and it is hit by a whirlwind containing fire and is burned. Thus does Allāh make clear to you [His] verses that you might give thought.
The Example of Evil Deeds Nullifying Good DeedsAl-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas and `Ubayd bin `Umayr said that `Umar bin Al-Khattab asked the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "According to your opinion, about whom was this Ayah revealed,أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ(Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines...)."They said, "Allah knows best." `Umar became angry and said, "Say we know or we do not know." Ibn `Abbas said, "O Leader of the Faithful! I have an opinion about it." `Umar said, "O my nephew! Say your opinion and do not belittle yourself." Ibn `Abbas said, "This is an example set for a deed." `Umar said, "What type of deed" Ibn `Abbas said, "For a wealthy man who works in Allah's pleasure and then Allah sends Shaytan to him, and he works in disobedience, until he annuls his good works."This Hadith suffices as an explanation for the Ayah, for it explains the example it sets by a person who does good first and then follows it with evil, may Allah save us from this end. So, this man annulled his previous good works with his latter evil works. When he desperately needed the deeds of the former type, there were none. This is why Allah said,وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعْصَارٌ(while he is striken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after thems…