Surah Al-Qasas 28:76-82 - Quran Translation Commentary

(28:76) Verily, Qarun was of the people of Musa,¹²³ but he acted insolently towards them.¹²⁴ And such were the treasures We had given him¹²⁵ that their very keys would burden a body of strong men.¹²⁶ Whereupon his people said to him, ‘Exult not; surely, Allah does not approve of the exultant.

(28:77) But seek through what Allah has given you the Final Abode; and forget not your share of the world.¹²⁷ And do good (to others) as Allah has done you good, and seek not corruption in the land. Surely, Allah does not approve of the corrupters.’

(28:78) He boasted, ‘I was only given it by virtue of a knowledge that I have.’¹²⁸ What! Did he not know that Allah destroyed before him of the generations, him who was stronger than he in might, and greater in wealth?¹²⁹ And the criminals will not be questioned about their sins.¹³⁰

(28:79) Then he strutted forth before his people in his pomp.¹³¹ Said those who aimed for the life of the world, ‘O would that we had the like of what Qarun has been given. Truly, he is (a man) of great fortune.’

(28:80) But said those who were given knowledge, ‘Woe unto you, Allah’s reward is better for him who believes and works righteous deeds. But none is granted it except the patient (and persevering).’

(28:81) So We sank him and his dwelling into the earth.¹³² He had no party to help him against Allah, nor was he of those who could defend themselves.

(28:82) And those who had longed for his position the previous day began to say by the morning,¹³³ ‘Ah! It is Allah indeed who extends provision to whom He will of His slaves and constricts it.¹³⁴ Had not Allah been gracious to us, He would have sunk us (also). Ah!¹³⁵ Surely the unbelievers never prosper.’

Commentary

123. According to Ibrahim, Qatadah and others he was Musa’s cousin (Ibn Jarir). The report is in Ibn Abi Shaybah’s Musannaf, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Hakim (who declared it trustworthy), and Ibn Marduwayh (Shawkani).

124. When bagha is used along with the suffix `alayhi, it adds the connotation of envy to the primary meaning of “rising against,” “acting insolently and arrogantly,” etc. Muslim sources say that Qarun was envious of Musa and Harun that they held all the ecclesiastical offices between themselves with none invested in him (Qurtubi and others). Further, Musa was demanding from Qarun payment of poor-due, which, at the rate of 0.1%. But Qarun did not feel it was a just demand and so he rebelled. The significance of the Qur’anic words is fully realized through Jewish literature – if trustworthy. Majid comments and quotes: “Bagha `ala akhihi” is also, ‘He envied his brother; he wished that a blessing, or cause of happiness, or an excellence might become transferred from his brother to himself’ (LL). The Bible gives rather a meagre account of his ‘rising’ against Moses and Aron (on them be peace!). ‘And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them; wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?’ (Nu. 16: 2,3).

“Josephus supplies some details:- ‘Corah, an Hebrew of principal account, both by his family and by his wealth … saw that Moses was in an exceeding great dignity, and was uneasy at it, and envied him on that account, (he was of the same tribe with Moses and kin to him) being particularly grieved, because he thought he better deserved that honourable post on account of his great riches, and as not inferior to him in his birth. So he raised a clamour against him among the Levites, who were of the same tribe, and especially among his kindred that … if God had determined to bestow that honour on one of the tribes of Levi, I am more worthy of it than he is, I myself being equal to Moses by my family, and superior to him in riches, and in my age.’ (“Ant,” Iv., 2: 2).”

125. Qurtubi points out that according to Farra’, the explanation by some that Qarun’s wealth was due to his knowledge of “Alchemy” is incorrect. Alchemy is pseudo-science with no basis in truth.

Ibn Kathir comments: Alchemy is no science for the simple reason that no one can alter the essence of things, such as ordinary metals to gold. A trustworthy narrative tells us that the Prophet said, “Allah says,

وَمن أظلم مِمَّن ذهب يخلق خلقا كخلقي ، فليخلقوا ذرة ، أَو ليخلقوا حَبَّة ، أَو ليخلقوا شعيرَة

“Who can be more wrong than he who claimed that he could create like I create. Let them then create an atom, let them create a barley seed.”

This hadith is in reference to the prohibition against artwork involving humans. Now, if mere image-making invokes such response, then what about when somebody claims to alter the very nature of things? No one can ever transfer say, one metal into another, unless it is by karamah (thaumaturgy) of the Friends of Allah, where, it is Allah’s own power which is working and not that of the person involved. For example, we have the story of Haywah b. Shurayh the Egyptian, whom someone asked for help. He had nothing to offer, although he could see the pressing need of the man before him. So he took a few pebbles, shook them in his hand and then advanced them to the man. And Lo! They were pieces of gold. There are several reports of this kind that cannot be presented for reasons of length.

Ibn Kathir’s quote ends here.

126. That Qarun was fabulously rich is a Qur’anic testimony. According to Jewish sources (such as the Jewish Encyclopaedia), the keys to his treasures had to be carried on the back of three hundred mules. (Yusuf Ali traces a similar report from Jewish compilation called Midrashim). Muslim commentators seem to have been influenced by them. They have reported that the keys were carried not by three hundred, but by sixty mules. But, allowance made for Jewish hyperbole, we are still faced with the Qur’anic statement, “And such were the treasures We had given him that their very keys would burden a body of strong men.” There are three answers: one, the word “mafatih” has to be understood in the sense of “treasures.” This was the opinion of Abu Saleh. Two, Dahhak thought that the allusion by “mafatih” is to “treasure-chests,” that were carried on forty mules. Three, the keys were made of leather which ended with wooden rods (that made them heavy). These three opinions are in Ibn Jarir. A fourth possibility is that since during that period technology was quite crude and cumbersome, the keys could have been made of massive sized wood, for special kinds of locks that the technology of that time could afford. Dozens of such keys would have required a band of men to take charge of material in the stockyards. (There is no consensus over the number that `usbah stands for. Opinions vary from 3-10 men to 40 men. Further, uli-quwwah could as well be referring to men experienced in accounts capable of handling large stocks of a variety of goods ranging from cloth, to arms, to spices). Finally, the Qur’an does not implicitly say that the keys were too heavy. A possible implication is that there were so many keys, (quite heavy in their own right), that the carrying, preserving and guarding of which was a heavy task upon a band of men (Au.).

One question may arise: The Israelites did not enter into Palestine for forty years after leaving Egypt. So, where were Qarun’s treasures? Yusuf Ali conjectures that perhaps he left his treasures in Egypt itself having brought with him only the keys. But that does not seem to be very likely, unless Qarun also went back to Egypt along with Musa after Fir`awn was drowned, as reported by Josephus (although Josephus does not name him). Alternatively, the episode might have taken place during the sojourn in Sinai, during which sojourn Qarun might have carried his treasure-chests on dozens of mules. That said, perhaps the explanation of Abu Saleh above is the most satisfactory, especially in view of the fact that the Qur'an has not made hyperbolic statements anywhere (Au.).

127. That is, do not give up working to please Allah in this world, through good deeds – Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and others (Ibn Jarir).

After presenting the above opinions, Qurtubi adds that according to some the allusion is to his coffin. They meant to say, “Do not forget that in truth, your share of this world is the coffin-shroud in which you will be packed and dispatched into the Hereafter.” He quotes two poetical examples in support of this interpretation.

Another possible meaning is, do not forget to take your rightful share of this-worldly things such as victuals, clothes, articles of adornment, etc. For, your Lord has a right on you, your body has a right on you, your wife and children have their rights on you, your guest has a right on you, and so, give everyone his due (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

128. Several of the earliest commentators have said that the allusion by “knowledge” is to the knowledge of the Torah that Qarun had mastered.

Ibn Zayd has said that Qarun thought that ‘if Allah was not well-pleased with me, if He was not unaware of my superiority, and the fact that I deserved it all, He would not have bestowed this wealth on me’ (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

The apparent meaning can be stated in Majid’s words: “i.e., what is this foolish talk about the grace and bounty of God? I have earned all this wealth on account of my own skill in the art of making money.”

129. That is, if wealth and material power were signs of Allah’s approval, why were nations and individuals of earlier times who were wealthier and stronger than him destroyed?

130. There are two possible meanings: one, as Qatadah has said, the unbelievers will be pushed into Hellfire without being questioned about their actions in the world. And two, the latter day unbelievers will not be questioned about the sins committed by earlier criminals (Ibn Jarir).

Zamakhshari thinks however that the relationship is as follows: When Allah mentioned that there were many who were destroyed for their sins, He also stated that He did not need to question the unbelievers for their crimes. He had full knowledge of their doings.

131. That is, he appeared along with his huge retinue, exulting, and displaying his wealth and position (Ibn Jarir).

“That Korah was joined by a large number of malcontents is borne out by the Jewish traditions: ‘Korah incited all the people against Moses, arguing that it was quite impossible to endure the laws instituted by the latter.’ (JE. VII p. 557).”

132. In the absence of a trustworthy report, it is difficult to say what immediate cause led to the earth swallowing Qarun. A popular report as in Ibn Jarir, Kashshaf, Ibn Kathir, Shawkani and others can be summarised in the following manner: When Qarun was asked by Musa to expend a meager amount of wealth in charity, it sounded like too much to him. So he thought he would rather cast aspersion on Musa and humiliate him before the elders of the Children of Israel rather than pay up. He prepared a harlot at good cost to allege that Musa had sex with her. As Musa visited Qarun to admonish him and his retinue, entourage, sycophants and supporters, he was confronted by Qarun who asked him whether what he preached about severing of the hand for theft, stoning to death for adultery and all that was equally applicable to him? (That is, to Musa). Musa said yes. At that point he accused him of adultery and the harlot was produced for testimony. But before the woman could speak out, Musa asked her to swear by all that was holy unto the Israelites before she made a statement. That drove fear into the woman and she decided to tell the truth viz., that Qarun had paid her to make the accusation against Musa. Musa went into prostration weeping, and supplicated that he be given command over the earth for a while. The supplication granted, he commanded the earth to swallow Qarun and his mansion, which it did. Qarun pleaded for mercy as he sank, but Musa paid no attention to him. After the sinking, Allah admonished Musa to the effect that had Qarun pleaded to Him for mercy, He would have responded to him. And, it is thought that his wealth was also sunk into the earth in order to remove any doubt that Musa wished to possess it.

Majid presents the Jewish traditions of this context: “The ground clave asunder that was under them. And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained Korah, and all their goods. They, and all appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them; and they perished from among the congregation.’ (Nu. 16: 31-33). See also “Ant.” IV, 4: 3,4). ‘At the time of Kora’s engulfment, the earth became like a funnel, and everything that belonged to him, even linen that was the launderer’s and needle that had been borrowed by personal living at a distance from Korah, rolled till it fell into the chasm. According to the Rabbis, Korah himself underwent the double punishment of being burned and buried alive’ (JE. VII. p. 557).”

The description above of the earth becoming a funnel, if a reliable report, lends credence to the idea that he sank in the Sinai Desert. In our times, several caving in of the earth in the earth, have been reported, some, right in the middle of a town, and so large as to swallow houses and cars (Au.).

There is no hadith that mentions Qarun’s end. But Bukhari has a report which says,

بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي فِي حُلَّةٍ تُعْجِبُهُ نَفْسُهُ مُرَجِّلٌ جُمَّتَهُ إِذْ خَسَفَ اللَّهُ بِهِ فَهُوَ يَتَجَلْجَلُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

“While a man was dragging his lower garment, he was swallowed by the earth and he will remain sinking in the earth until the Day of Standing.” Another report in Ahmad is slightly differently worded. It says,

بَيْنَا رَجُلٌ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ خَرَجَ فِي بُرْدَيْنِ أَخْضَرَيْنِ يَخْتَالُ فِيهِمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ الْأَرْضَ فَأَخَذَتْهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَتَجَلْجَلُ فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

“While a man from of those before you came out in two green garments, strutting proudly and arrogantly, Allah ordered the earth to swallow him up. He will remain sinking into it until the Day of Judgment.” (Both these reports do not identify Qarun as the person).

And Hafiz ibn al-Mundhir has recorded in his `Aja’ib wa Ghara’ib the following from Nawfal b. Musahiq: “Once I encountered a young man in one of the mosques in Najran. I began to stare at him for his health, beauty and extremely well-balanced figure. He asked, ‘Why do you stare at me?’ I replied, ‘In wonder at your beauty and perfection.’ He said arrogantly, ‘Ah, even Allah wonders at me.’ Immediately he began to shrink in size until he became as small as about half a foot. One of his relatives picked him up, put him in his pocket and left” (Ibn Kathir).

133. By the morning because, writes Alusi, the sinking took place at night.

134. Wealth and well-being are no signs of Allah’s approval. A hadith speaks of the principle behind Allah’s division of wealth and other things. It says, as reported by Ibn Mas`ud,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَسَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ أَخْلَاقَكُمْ كَمَا قَسَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ أَرْزَاقَكُمْ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُعْطِي الدُّنْيَا مَنْ يُحِبُّ وَمَنْ لَا يُحِبُّ وَلَا يُعْطِي الدِّينَ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَحَبَّ

“Allah has divided good character amongst you as he has divided wealth. Indeed, Allah gives wealth unto him He loves, and unto him He does not love. But He does not bestow iman (faith) except on him He loves” (Ibn Kathir).

135. “Ah” is a very poor equivalent of “wayka-annahu”. In Arabic it carries several connotations such as: “Have you not seen that?”, “Do you not see that?”, “Have you not known?”, etc., which is the meaning preferred by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir.