28. Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ

٢٨۔ سُورَةُ القَصَص

28.12 Story of Qārūn, the rich man, who was from the people of Moses but he rebelled against the guidance of God.

٢٨۔١٢ مقطع في سُورَةُ القَصَص

quran:28:76

Indeed, Qarun was from the people of Moses, but he tyrannized them. And We gave him of treasures whose keys would burden a band of strong men; thereupon his people said to him, "Do not exult. Indeed, Allah does not like the exultant.  

Indeed Korah belonged to the people of Moses — ˹being˺ his paternal and maternal cousin, and he had believed in him ˹in Moses˺ — but he became insolent towards them, through ˹his˺ disdain, haughtiness and great wealth. For We had given him so many treasures that ˹the number of˺ their keys would verily have burdened a group of strong men, in other words, they would have been too heavy for such ˹men˺ (the bā’ of ˹bi’l-‘usbati, ‘a group’˺ is to render transitive ˹the intransitive˺ verb); the number of such ˹men required˺ is estimated to be 70, 40 or 10; other estimates are also given. Mention, when his people, the believers among the Children of Israel, said to him, ‘Do not be exultant, in ˹your˺ great wealth, an exultation of insolence; truly God does not love the exultant, in such ˹things˺;
القرآن:٢٨:٧٦

إِنَّ قَارُونَ كَانَ مِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَىٰ فَبَغَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْكُنُوزِ مَا إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُ لَتَنُوءُ بِالْعُصْبَةِ أُولِي الْقُوَّةِ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ قَوْمُهُ لَا تَفْرَحْ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَرِحِينَ  

{إن قارون كان من قوم موسى} ابن عمه وابن خالته وآمن به {فبغى عليهم} بالكبر والعلو وكثرة المال {وآتيناه من الكنوز ما إن مفاتحه لتنوء} تثقل {بالعصبة} الجماعة {أولي} أصحاب {القوة} أي تثقلهم فالباء للتعدية وعدتهم قيل سبعون وقيل أربعون وقيل عشرة وقيل غير ذلك، اذكر {إذ قال له قومه} المؤمنون من بني إسرائيل {لا تفرح} بكثرة المال فرح بطر {إن الله لا يحب الفرحين} بذلك.
quran:28:77

But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and ˹yet˺, do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters."  

but seek, in that which God has given you, of wealth, the Abode of the Hereafter, by expending it in obedience to God, and do not forget your share of this world, that is, ˹do not forget˺ to strive in it for the sake of the Hereafter; and be good, to people, by ˹giving˺ voluntary alms, just as God has been good to you. And do not seek to cause corruption in the earth, by committing acts of disobedience. Surely God does not love the agents of corruption’, meaning that He will punish them.
القرآن:٢٨:٧٧

وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَأَحْسِنْ كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَلَا تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ  

{وابتغ} اطلب {فيما آتاك الله} من المال {الدار الآخرة} بأن تنفقه في طاعة الله {ولا تنس} تترك {نصيبك من الدنيا} أي أن تعمل فيها للآخرة {وأحسن} للناس بالصدقة {كما أحسن الله إليك ولا تبغ} تطلب {الفساد في الأرض} بعمل المعاصي {إن الله لا يحب المفسدين} بمعنى أنه يعاقبهم.
quran:28:78

He said, "I was only given it because of knowledge I have." Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him of generations those who were greater than him in power and greater in accumulation ˹of wealth˺? But the criminals, about their sins, will not be asked.  

He said, ‘In fact I have been given it, that is, ˹this˺ wealth, because of knowledge I possess’, in other words, in return for it — he was the most knowledgeable of the Children of Israel in the Torah, after Moses and Aaron. God, exalted be He, says: Does he not know that God had already destroyed before him generations, communities, of men stronger than him in might and greater in the amassing?, of wealth; in other words, he does know this. And God destroys them, and the guilty will not be questioned about their sins, because of God’s knowledge of these ˹sins˺, and so they will be admitted into the Fire without a reckoning.
القرآن:٢٨:٧٨

قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِنْدِي ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا ۚ وَلَا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ  

{قال إنما أوتيته} أي المال {على علم عندي} أي في مقابلته وكان أعلم بني إسرائيل بالتوراة بعد موسى وهارون قال تعالى {أوَلم يعلم أن الله قد أهلك من قبله من القرون} الأمم {من هو أشد منه قوةً وأكثر جمعا} للمال: أي هو عالم بذلك ويهلكهم الله {ولا يُسأل عن ذنوبهم المجرمون} لعلمه تعالى بها فيدخلون النار بلا حساب.
quran:28:79

So he came out before his people in his adornment. Those who desired the worldly life said, "Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qarun. Indeed, he is one of great fortune."  

So he, Korah, emerged before his people in his finery, with his large retinue ˹all of them˺ in procession dressed in gold and silk garments and mounted on adorned horses and mules. Those who desired the life of this world said, ‘O (yā is for drawing attention) would that we had the like of what Korah has been given, this world. Truly he enjoys great fortune’, abundant ˹fortune˺ in it.
القرآن:٢٨:٧٩

فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ فِي زِينَتِهِ ۖ قَالَ الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا يَا لَيْتَ لَنَا مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ قَارُونُ إِنَّهُ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ  

{فخرج} قارون {على قومه في زينته} بأتباعه الكثيرين ركبانا متحلين بملابس الذهب والحرير على خيول وبغال متحلية {قال الذين يريدون الحياة الدنيا يا} للتنبيه {ليت لنا مثل ما أوتي قارون} في الدنيا {إنه لذو حظ} نصيب {عظيم} واف فيها.
quran:28:80

But those who had been given knowledge said, "Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for he who believes and does righteousness. And none are granted it except the patient."  

But those to whom knowledge had been given, ˹knowledge˺ of what God had promised in the Hereafter, said, to them: ‘Woe to you! (waylakum, is an expression of reprimand) God’s reward, of Paradise in the Hereafter, is better for him who believes and acts righteously, than what Korah has been given in this world; and none will obtain it, namely, the Paradise that is given as a reward, except those who are steadfast’, in ˹their adherence to˺ obedience and ˹refrain˺ from disobedience.
القرآن:٢٨:٨٠

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِمَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَلَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الصَّابِرُونَ  

{وقال} لهم {الذين أوتوا العلم} بما وعد الله في الآخرة {ويلكم} كلمة زجر {ثواب الله} في الآخرة بالجنة {خير لمن آمن وعمل صالحاً} مما أوتي قارون في الدنيا {ولا يلقاها} أي الجنة المثاب بها {إلا الصابرون} على الطاعة وعن المعصية.
quran:28:81

And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor was he of those who ˹could˺ defend themselves.  

So We caused the earth to swallow him, Korah, and his dwelling, and he had no host to help him besides God, that is, other than Him, to protect him from destruction, nor was he of those who can rescue themselves, from it.
القرآن:٢٨:٨١

فَخَسَفْنَا بِهِ وَبِدَارِهِ الْأَرْضَ فَمَا كَانَ لَهُ مِنْ فِئَةٍ يَنْصُرُونَهُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُنْتَصِرِينَ  

{فخسفنا به} بقارون {وبداره الأرض فما كان له من فئة ينصرونه من دون الله} أي غيره بأن يمنعوا عنه الهلاك {وما كان من المنتصرين} منه.
quran:28:82

And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, "Oh, how Allah extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allah had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!"  

And those who had longed to be in his place the day before, that is, only recently, were saying, ‘Alas! God expands provision for whomever He will of His servants and straitens ˹it˺, He restricts it for whomever He will (way-ka’anna: way is a noun of action, with the sense of ‘How astonished I am’, while the kāf functions as a ˹causative˺ lām, ‘because’). Had God not been gracious to us, He would have made us to be swallowed too’ (read active la-khasafa, or passive la-khusifa). Lo! indeed those who are ungrateful, for God’s grace, such as Korah, never prosper.
القرآن:٢٨:٨٢

وَأَصْبَحَ الَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوْا مَكَانَهُ بِالْأَمْسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيْكَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقْدِرُ ۖ لَوْلَا أَنْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَا ۖ وَيْكَأَنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ  

{وأصبح الذين تمنوا مكانه بالأمس} أي من قريب {يقولون ويكأن الله يبسط} يوسع {الرزق لمن يشاء من عباده ويقدر} يضيق على ما يشاء و "وي" اسم فعل بمعنى: أعجب، أي أنا والكاف بمعنى اللام {لولا أن من الله علينا لخسف بنا} بالبناء للفاعل والمفعول {ويكأنه لا يفلح الكافرون} لنعمة الله كقارون.