Why Did the Earth Swallow Qarun and His House?
لماذا خسف الله تعالى بقارون وبداره الأرض؟
Because he attributed the grace and bounty to himself and not to Allah the Almighty the real Provider.
(He replied, “I have been granted all this because of some knowledge I have.” Did he not know that Allah had already destroyed some from the generations before him who were far superior to him in power and greater in accumulating ˹wealth˺? There will be no need for the wicked to be asked about their sins. Then he came out before his people in all his glamour. Those who desired the life of this world wished, “If only we could have something like what Korah has been given. He is truly a man of great fortune!”) [Al-Qasas 28:78-79]
لأنه نسب النعمة لنفسه لا لمعطيها سبحانه وتعالى.
(قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِي أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّـهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا وَلَا يُسْأَلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ فِي زِينَتِهِ ۖ قَالَ الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا يَا لَيْتَ لَنَا مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ قَارُونُ إِنَّهُ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ) [القصص 28: 78-79]
1. Because of Knowledge I Have | إنما أوتيته على علم عندي
Ibn Kathir explains Qarun’s reply as: I have no need of what you say, for Allah gave me this wealth only because He knows I deserve it and because He loves me; like the verse: when We grant him a favour from Us, he says, I was given it only because of knowledge (39:49). He mentions a view that Qarun meant the craft of alchemy, and calls that view weak.
قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِي (سورة القصص: 78)
قال تعالى: (قال إنما أوتيته على علم عندي) (القصص 28: 78)، قال ابن كثير: أي أنا لا أفتقر إلى ما تقولون، فإن الله تعالى إنما أعطاني هذا المال لعلمه بأني أستحقه، ولمحبته لي، وهذا كقوله تعالى: (فإذا مس الإنسان ضر دعانا ثم إذا خولناه نعمة منا قال إنما أوتيته على علم) (الزمر 39: 49)، وذكر قول من قال إنه كان يعاني علم الكيمياء، وقال: وهذا القول ضعيف.
2. The Earth Swallowed Him | فخسفنا به وبداره الأرض
After Qarun came out before his people in his finery (28:79), Allah says: so We caused the earth to swallow him and his house, and he had no group to help him against Allah, nor could he defend himself (28:81). Ibn Kathir links it to the hadith: while a man was dragging his garment out of pride, the earth swallowed him, and he will keep sinking in it until the Day of Resurrection (Sahih al-Bukhari 3485).
فَخَسَفْنَا بِهِ وَبِدَارِهِ الْأَرْضَ فَمَا كَانَ لَهُ مِن فِئَةٍ يَنصُرُونَهُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُنتَصِرِينَ (سورة القصص: 81)
قال تعالى: (فخسفنا به وبداره الأرض فما كان له من فئة ينصرونه من دون الله وما كان من المنتصرين) (القصص 28: 81)، وذكر ابن كثير في ذلك قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "بينما رجل يجر إزاره من الخيلاء خسف به، فهو يتجلجل في الأرض إلى يوم القيامة" (صحيح البخاري 3485).
3. Wealth Is No Sign of Allah’s Pleasure | ويكأن الله يبسط الرزق لمن يشاء
Those who had wished for his place the day before said: Ah, Allah extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it; had Allah not been gracious to us, He would have made the earth swallow us (28:82). Ibn Kathir explains: wealth is no sign that Allah is pleased with its owner, for Allah gives and withholds, narrows and widens, lowers and raises. Who Qarun was is explained in who Qarun was, and pride in arrogance and boasting in Islamic law.
وَأَصْبَحَ الَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوْا مَكَانَهُ بِالْأَمْسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيْكَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقْدِرُ (سورة القصص: 82)
قال تعالى: (وأصبح الذين تمنوا مكانه بالأمس يقولون ويكأن الله يبسط الرزق لمن يشاء من عباده ويقدر) (القصص 28: 82)، قال ابن كثير: أي ليس المال بدال على رضا الله عن صاحبه، فإن الله يعطي ويمنع، ويضيق ويوسع، ويخفض ويرفع، وله الحكمة التامة والحجة البالغة.
4. The Home of the Hereafter | تلك الدار الآخرة
The story closes with: that home of the Hereafter We give to those who do not desire exaltedness on earth or corruption, and the best outcome is for the righteous (28:83). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah made it for His humble believing servants, who do not seek to raise themselves above Allah’s creation, to act proudly toward them or to tyrannise them.
تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا ۚ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ (سورة القصص: 83)
قال تعالى: (تلك الدار الآخرة نجعلها للذين لا يريدون علوا في الأرض ولا فسادا والعاقبة للمتقين) (القصص 28: 83)، قال ابن كثير: جعلها لعباده المؤمنين المتواضعين، الذين لا يريدون علوا في الأرض، أي ترفعا على خلق الله وتعاظما عليهم وتجبرا بهم، ولا فسادا فيهم.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why did Allah destroy Qarun?
Because he attributed Allah’s favour to himself and not to its Giver.
What did Qarun say about his wealth?
I was given it only because of knowledge I have (28:78).
How was Qarun destroyed?
Allah caused the earth to swallow him and his house, and no one could help him against Allah (28:81).
What did those who envied him say afterwards?
That Allah extends provision to whom He wills and restricts it, and that had Allah not been gracious to them, the earth would have swallowed them too (28:82).