The story of Qaroun with Moussa

"Qaroun was of the people of Moussa: he rebelled against them: and We gave him of the treasures such that their keys would weigh down hardly upon a troop of men of strength: when his people said to him: do not rejoice: Allah loves not the rejoicing ones: and seek in what Allah gave you the Last Dwelling: and forget not your portion of the world: and do good as Allah did good to you: and seek not corruption in the land: Allah loves not the corrupters. He said: I was given it only upon a knowledge with me: did he not know that Allah destroyed before him of the generations who was stronger than him in strength: and more abundant in amassing: the criminals will not be questioned of their sins. So he went out upon his people in his adornment: said those who desire the life of the world: would that we had like what was given to Qaroun: he owns surely a great portion. And said those to whom was given the knowledge: woe to you: the reward of Allah is better for him who believes: and works righteousness: and none attains it but the patient.

So We made sink with him: and his dwelling: the earth: he had then no troop to help him against Allah: and he was not of the helped. And became those who wished his place the day before: as though Allah extends the provision to whom He wills of His servants: and straitens: had Allah not bestowed upon us, He would have made us sink: as though the disbelievers succeed not. This Last Dwelling: We make it for those who desire not exaltation in the earth: nor corruption: and the end is for the godfearing."

Surat al-Qassas, 76-83

Al-Minhale ibn 'Amr reported to us: of Sa'id ibn Joubaïr: of Ibn 'Abbas: Qaroun was the cousin of Moussa. And thus said Ibrahim an-Nakha'i: and 'Abdoullah ibn al-Harith ibn Nawfale: and Samaak ibn Harb: and Qatada: and Malik ibn Dinar: and Ibn Joureyj: he is Qaroun ibn Yashhare ibn Qahith, and Moussa ibn 'Imrane ibn Qahith. And this is the saying of most of the people of knowledge: that he was the cousin of Moussa: and was rejected the saying of Ibn Ishaq that he was the uncle of Moussa: and he was called an-Nawwar: for the beauty of his voice in the Tora: but the enemy of Allah only dissembled: as dissembled the Samiri: and the rebellion destroyed him for the abundance of his wealth: he added to his garments a span of length: in exaltation over his people. And Allah the Most High has mentioned the abundance of his treasures: until their keys weighed heavy upon the carrying of troops of very strong men: they were of leather: and they were carried upon sixty mules: and Allah knows better.

"Do not rejoice: Allah loves not the rejoicing ones": that is: do not exult with what you are given: and do not boast over others: let your aspiration be directed to acquiring the reward of Allah in the Last Dwelling: it is better: and more enduring: and with that "and forget not your portion of the world": that is: take of it by your wealth what Allah has made licit to you: and enjoy for yourself the good licit pleasures: "and do good as Allah did good to you": that is: do good toward the creation of Allah as Allah, their Creator and their Maker, did good to you: "and seek not corruption in the land": that is: do them no harm: and corrupt them not: else you meet the contrary of what you are commanded toward them: and He punishes you: and takes back what He gave you: "Allah loves not the corrupters."

His answer to his people to that sound and eloquent counsel was therefore: I have no need of using what you mentioned: nor of what you pointed to: Allah gave me this only for His knowledge that I deserve it: and that I am worthy of it: and that were I not beloved to Him: and privileged near Him, He would not have given me what He gave me. "Did he not know that Allah destroyed before him of the generations who was stronger than him in strength: and more abundant in amassing: and the criminals will not be questioned of their sins": that is: We destroyed the past nations by their sins: and their faults: who was stronger than Qaroun in strength: and more abundant in wealth: and in children: and had his saying been true, We would not punish anyone who was richer than him: and his wealth would not be a proof of Our love for him: and Our care for him: "and it is not your wealths: nor your children: that bring you near to Us in proximity: only he who believes: and works righteousness.

"Do they think that that by which We extend them of wealth: and of sons: We hasten to them in the good things: but they perceive not. "I was given it only upon a knowledge with me."

And as for him who claimed that the intended by that is that he knew the craft of alchemy: or that he memorized the Greatest Name: and employed it in the amassing of wealths: it is not sound: alchemy is illusion: and a dye that does not transform the realities: and resembles not the craft of the Creator: and the Greatest Name: the supplication ascends not by it of a disbeliever in it: and Qaroun was a disbeliever in the inward: a hypocrite in the outward: and his answer to them by that is not valid upon this estimation: and there remains between the two sayings no implication: and we have clarified that in our book: and to Allah the praise.

"So he went out upon his people in his adornment": mentioned many of the exegetes that he went out in great adornment: of garments: and chariots: and servants: and retinue: when saw those who magnify the brilliance of the life of the world: they wished to be like him: and envied him for what he wore: and possessed: when heard their saying the scholars of sound understanding: the discerning ascetics: "woe to you: the reward of Allah is better for him who believes: and works righteousness": that is: the reward of Allah in the Last Dwelling is better: and more enduring: and more noble: and higher: "and none attains it but the patient": that is: there launches this counsel: and this saying: and this lofty aspiration toward the Last Dwelling high: at the sight of the brilliance of this low world: only he whose heart Allah guided: and confirmed his breast: and supported his mind: and realized his wish: Allah loves the penetrating look at the arrival of doubts: and the complete mind at the arrival of passions.

"So We made sink with him: and his dwelling: the earth: he had then no troop to help him against Allah: and he was not of the helped."

When the Most High mentioned his going out in his adornment: and his strutting in it: and his boasting over his people by it: "So We made sink with him: and his dwelling: the earth."

As reported al-Boukhari of the hadith of az-Zouhri: of Salim: of his father: of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): a man was dragging his izar: when he was made to sink with him: and he sinks in the earth until the Day of Resurrection. Then reported it al-Boukhari of the hadith of Jarir ibn Zayd: of Salim: of Abou Hourayra: of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): like it.

And it is mentioned of Ibn 'Abbas: and of as-Soudi: that Qaroun gave a prostitute woman money, upon condition that she say to Moussa (peace be upon him): you did to me such and such. So she said that to him: he was thunderstruck therefore by grief: and prayed two rak'a: who indicated that to you: and what carried you to it ? She mentioned that Qaroun is he who carried her to that: and she asked forgiveness of Allah: and repented toward Him: at that Moussa fell for Allah prostrating: and invoked Allah against Qaroun: I have indeed commanded the earth that it obey you in him: Moussa commanded therefore the earth that it swallow him: and his dwelling: and that was: and Allah knows better. Qaroun when he went out upon his people in his adornment: passed with his caravan: and his mules: and his garments: upon the session of Moussa (peace be upon him): and he was reminding his people of the days of Allah: when the people saw him: turned away therefore the faces of many people: looking toward him: Moussa called him therefore: what carried you to this ?

He said: o Moussa: were you privileged over me by the prophethood, I was privileged over you by the wealth: and if you wish: you will go out: and invoke against me: and I invoke against you. He went out: and went out Qaroun with his people: Moussa said to him: do you invoke: or I invoke ? I invoke I. Qaroun invoked therefore: and was not answered in Moussa: I invoke ?

Yes: o Allah: command the earth: that it obey me today: I have indeed done: o earth: take them: it took them to their feet: then he said: take them: it took them to their knees: then to their shoulders: bring near with their treasures: and their wealths: it brought near with them: until they looked at it: then Moussa pointed with his hand: depart: sons of Lawi: the earth smoothed with them: they are made to sink every day one time: until the Day of Resurrection: they were made to sink to the seventh earth: and mentioned many of the exegetes here many israelites: we turned away from them deliberately: and left them.

"He had then no troop to help him against Allah: and he was not of the helped": he had no helper of himself: nor of other: he has then no strength: nor helper. And when befell him what befell of the sinking: and the disappearance of the wealths: and the ruin of the dwelling: and the death of the soul: and of the family: and of the estate: regretted those who had wished like what was given to him: and thanked Allah the Most High: who governs His servants as He wills of the beautiful preserved governance: "had Allah not bestowed upon us, He would have made us sink: as though the disbelievers succeed not. And "as though" in the meaning of "have you not seen that": and it is a beautiful saying from the point of view of the meaning: and Allah knows better.

Then informed the Most High: "This Last Dwelling": and it is the Dwelling of settlement: and it is the Dwelling wherein is envied he to whom it is given: and consoled he who is deprived of it: it is only prepared "for those who desire not exaltation in the earth: nor corruption": the exaltation is the pride: and the boasting: and the arrogance: and the exulting: and the corruption is the work of the lasting: and transmittive disobediences: of taking the wealths of people: and corrupting their livelihoods: and harming them: and not being sincere to them: "and the end is for the godfearing."

And the story of Qaroun this one: "So We made sink with him: and his dwelling: the earth": the dwelling is apparent in the building: and it may be after that in the wandering: and the dwelling signifies the camp wherein are pitched the tents: o dwelling of 'Abbla, speak with the load: and o my blindness, at morning, dwelling of 'Abbla, submit: and Allah knows better.

"And We sent surely Moussa with Our signs: and an authority manifest: to Fir'awn: and Haman: and Qaroun: they said: sorcerer: liar." And said the Most High in a surah: after the mention of 'Ad: and Thamoud: "and Qaroun: and Fir'awn: and Haman: Moussa came to them surely with the proofs: they magnified themselves therefore in the land: and were not the foremost: We seized each by his sin: among them he upon whom We sent the gravel storm: and among them him whom the cry seized: and among them those We made sink the earth: and among them those We drowned: and Allah was not to wrong them: but they wronged themselves." (al-'Ankabout, 39) he therefore who was made to sink the earth: Qaroun: as preceded: and he who was drowned: Fir'awn: and Haman: and their two troops: they were in error.

Abou 'Abd ar-Rahman reported to us: Sa'id reported to us: Ka'b ibn 'Alqama reported to us: of Issa ibn Hilal as-Sadafi: of 'Abdoullah ibn 'Amr: of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): that he mentioned one day the prayer: who keeps it, it is for him a light: and a proof: and salvation on the Day of Resurrection: and who keeps it not, he has no light: nor proof: nor salvation: and he will be on the Day of Resurrection with Qaroun: and Fir'awn: and Haman: and Oubayy ibn Khalef: Ahmad alone reported it.