(28:76) To be sure,⁹⁴ Qarun (Korah) was one of Moses' people; then he transgressed against them.⁹⁵ We had bestowed on him such treasure that their very keys would have been raised with difficulty by a whole group of strong people.⁹⁶ Once when his people said to him: "Do not exult, for Allah does not love those who exult (in their riches).

(28:77) Seek by means of the wealth that Allah has granted you the Abode of the Hereafter, but forget not your share in this world and do good as Allah has been good to you and do not strive to create mischief in the land, for Allah loves not those who create mischief."

94, This example is also given in response to the Makkan unbelievers’ excuses. In fact, this subject is continuously addressed from verse 57 onwards.

It is important to remember who opposed the Prophet (peace be on him), expressing the concern that the interests of the nation were at stake. They were, indeed, the wealthy traders, the rich money-lenders, and the capitalists of Makka.

These were the ones who had made large fortunes through, money-lending operations and their clever manipulation of international trade. These people were wholly convinced that the only worthwhile goal in life was to maximize their monetary earnings. They also believed that whatever obstructed that pursuit must be wrong and should be brushed aside.

The common people, on the other hand, looked up to the rich as their role models. All that they wished for was to become like them. In this materialistic milieu, there was great appeal in the argument that if they accepted the Prophet’s Message, they would not only lose their wealth but also their power and prestige.

Further, not only their international trade would come to a halt but their very existence be endangered.

95. Qarun, the Korah of the Bible and the Talmud, was Moses’ cousin.

According to his lineage given in Exodus (2:18-21), his father and Moses’ (peace be on him) father were brothers. Elsewhere: in the Qur’4n, it is mentioned that in spite of his being an Israelite, Korah had allied himself with Pharaoh and had become one of his close and trusted courtiers. In fact, he was one of the two most vocal opponents of Moses (peace be on him), that is after Pharaoh. “We sent Moses to Pharaoh and Haman and Korah with Our signs and a clear authority, but they said: “He is a magician, a big liar’” (al-Mu’min 40:23-4).

This clearly shows that Korah had deserted his own people, had become an agent of the enemy who wanted to destroy the Israelites. It was through © his treacherous desertion of his own people that Korah had attained a very high position in Pharaoh’s court. He was one of the two people to whom Moses (peace be on him) was specifically sent besides Pharaoh, the other being Pharaoh’s prime minister, Haman. The rest of Pharaoh’s courtiers were not so important and are not mentioned individually in the Qur’an. Reference to Korah’s extraordinary position is also made in Surah al- “‘Ankabut (29:39).

96. Korah’s story, as related in the Bible (Numbers:16), makes no mention of his wealth. But, according to rabbinical traditions, he was very wealthy. No less than three hundred mules were needed to carry the keys to his treasures (The Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. VIl, p. 556). This is clearly hyperbolic but it indicates that, even according to Israelite traditions, he was very rich.