Verse. 3330

٢٨ - ٱلْقَصَص

28 - Al-Qasas

قَالَ اِنَّمَاۗ اُوْتِيْتُہٗ عَلٰي عِلْمٍ عِنْدِيْ۝۰ۭ اَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ اَنَّ اللہَ قَدْ اَہْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِہٖ مِنَ الْقُرُوْنِ مَنْ ہُوَاَشَدُّ مِنْہُ قُوَّۃً وَّاَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا۝۰ۭ وَلَا يُسْـَٔــلُ عَنْ ذُنُوْبِہِمُ الْمُجْرِمُوْنَ۝۷۸
Qala innama ooteetuhu AAala AAilmin AAindee awalam yaAAlam anna Allaha qad ahlaka min qablihi mina alqurooni man huwa ashaddu minhu quwwatan waaktharu jamAAan wala yusalu AAan thunoobihimu almujrimoona

English

Ahmed Ali

He said: "This has come to me through my own acumen." Did he not know that God had destroyed many generations before him who possessed far more acumen than he, and more wealth? The sinners will not be asked about their sins.

78

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : (he said) korah said: (i have been given it) this wealth (only on account of knowledge i possess) because allah knows that i deserve it; it is also said that this means: he made gold from his knowledge of alchemy. (knew he not) i.e. korah (that allah had destroyed already of the generations before him men who were mightier than him in strength) who were physically stronger than him (and greater about following) and greater in respect to the wealth and men they had? (the guilty are not questioned of their sins) the idolaters will not be asked on the day of judgement about their sins because they will be known through distinct marks.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : 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.

Sahl al-Tustari

تفسير : [he said] ‘in fact i have been given it [this wealth] because of knowledge i possess…’he said:no one who has regard for himself will triumph; nor a state come into being for anyone who claims to possess it. the fortunate person is he who averts his eye from [looking upon] his states and acts; ⸢to him is opened⸣ the way of receiving grace (faḍl) and being gracious to [others] (ifḍāl), whilst keeping sight of god’s favour in [the accomplishment of] all acts. the wretched person, on the other hand, is the one who makes himself, his states (aḥwāl) and his deeds beautiful [in his eyes], to the point where he becomes proud of them, and then claims [responsibility for] them himself. his disgrace will ruin him one day if it does not ruin him in the present. see how god spoke of korah with his words: i have been given it [this wealth] because of knowledge i possess, that is, merit (faḍl). this was because he was the most learned among them with regard to the torah. he claimed merit for himself and so god made the earth beneath him swallow him up. this is the outer meaning [of the verse]. but just how many a person has sunk low through vices (ashrār), whilst being quite unaware of [what he is doing]. sinking low [through] vices means a person’s being deprived of [divine] protection (ʿiṣma) and being left to his own power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa), so that his tongue is loosened and he starts to utter great claims. it also means he will be blind to god’s favour, and fail to show gratitude for what he has been given. at this point it will be time for [his] demise.his words, exalted is he: