Fruit Pickers

We tested them as We tested the owners of the garden, when they swore to harvest its fruit in the morning

68:17Lo! We have tried them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning,

Without saying, “If Allah wills.”

68:18And made no exception (for the Will of Allah);

So a calamity from your Lord swept over it while they slept

68:19Then a visitation from thy Lord came upon it while they slept

And by morning, it lay barren and scorched.

68:20And in the morning it was as if plucked.

They called out to one another at dawn

68:21And they cried out one unto another in the morning,

“Go early to your field, if you are to reap.”

68:22Saying: Run unto your field if ye would pluck (the fruit).

So, they set out, whispering to each other

68:23So they went off, saying one unto another in low tones:

“Let no poor person enter it today.”

68:24No needy man shall enter it to-day against you.

They went early, determined in their resolve.

68:25They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.

But when they saw it, they said, “We are lost!”

68:26But when they saw it, they said: Lo! we are in error!

“No, rather, we are deprived!”

68:27Nay, but we are desolate!

The most reasonable among them said, “Did I not tell you to glorify Allah?”

68:28The best among them said: Said I not unto you: Why glorify ye not (Allah)?

They said, “Glory be to our Lord! We were truly wrongdoers.”

68:29They said: Glorified be our Lord! Lo! we have been wrong-doers.

Then they turned on each other, blaming one another.

68:30Then some of them drew near unto others, self-reproaching.

They said, “Woe to us! We were indeed arrogant.”

68:31They said: Alas for us! In truth we were outrageous.

“Perhaps our Lord will give us something better in its place. We turn to Him in hope.”

68:32It may be that our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord.