Surah Al-Kahf 18:40
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ · Meccan · Verse 40 of 110
فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّىٓ أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًۭا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًۭا زَلَقًا
Translation
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;
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'Perhaps my Lord will give me better than your garden, and send upon it a reckoning from the sky, so it becomes a barren slope.' al-Saadi and Ibn Kathir note the believer's calm confidence, his 'wealth' is his Lord, so he can imagine losing nothing while the boastful man's whole security could be undone in a night by a single decree from the sky. Ask yourself: the poor believer holds his hope in something no calamity can reach, his relationship with God, while pointing out how fragile the rich man's visible security truly is. It reframes strength: real security is not the size of my garden but the One I'm anchored to. A single 'reckoning from the sky' can flatten the mightiest estate; nothing can touch a heart rooted in God. Where have I mistaken a fragile garden for security, when the only unshakeable footing is the Lord Himself?
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Saadi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ashur.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Kahf 18:40 is discussed in 5 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Kahf 18:40 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.