Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 71–77

28. Al-Qasas · The Stories

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قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ سَرْمَدًا إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ مَنْ إِلَٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِضِيَآءٍ ۖ أَفَلَا تَسْمَعُونَ

28:71Say, ‘Tell me, if Allah were to make the night perpetual for you until the Day of Resurrection, what god other than Allah can bring you light? Will you not listen?’

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلنَّهَارَ سَرْمَدًا إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ مَنْ إِلَٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِلَيْلٍۢ تَسْكُنُونَ فِيهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ

28:72Say, ‘Tell me, if Allah were to make the day perpetual for you until the Day of Resurrection, what god other than Allah can bring you night wherein you can rest? Will you not perceive?’1

وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا۟ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

28:73He has made for you the night and the day out of His mercy, so that you may rest therein and that you may seek His bounty and so that you may give thanks.2

وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

28:74The day He will call out to them and say, ‘Where are My ‘partners’ that you used to claim?’

وَنَزَعْنَا مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ شَهِيدًۭا فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا۟ بُرْهَٰنَكُمْ فَعَلِمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلْحَقَّ لِلَّهِ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ

28:75We shall draw from every nation a witness and say, ‘Produce your evidence.’ Then they will know that all reality belongs to Allah and what they used to fabricate will forsake them.

۞ إِنَّ قَٰرُونَ كَانَ مِن قَوْمِ مُوسَىٰ فَبَغَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْكُنُوزِ مَآ إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُۥ لَتَنُوٓأُ بِٱلْعُصْبَةِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُوَّةِ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ لَا تَفْرَحْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَرِحِينَ

28:76Korah indeed belonged to the people of Moses, but he bullied them. We had given him so much treasures that their chests indeed proved heavy for a band of stalwarts. When his people said to him, ‘Do not boast! Indeed Allah does not like the boasters.3

وَٱبْتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَلَا تَبْغِ ٱلْفَسَادَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

28:77Seek the abode of the Hereafter by means of what Allah has given you, while not forgetting your share of this world. Be good [to others] just as Allah has been good to you, and do not try to cause corruption in the land. Indeed Allah does not like the agents of corruption.’

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 76

1.This is the sign that Qaroon was also on straight path in the beginning like the whole community of Moos a (a.s.). Later on, Allah gave him riches to take his trial, so he felt supremacy and showed high handedness to his community, such as the rich and wealthy people do in every era that after getting wealth they wish to usurp the property of the poor in the miracle of their wealth and as their basic right. And in this way, society comes under their control and becomes a victim of difference in social status.

The more interesting thing is this that Qaroon considered this as the proof of his greatness. If I had no special quality, I would not have been given such property. He became careless the trial of Allah and forgot of the day of Resurrection. Besides Moosa (a.s.) people tried to make him understand but he did not come on the right path and in the end expressed his materialistic mentality. According to the verse of the Holy Quran, people demanded five things from Qaroon, which were included in the principle of life.

(1) Don’t be proud; (2) Do good to others; (3) Allah has done good to you, it is incumbent on you to do good to others; (4) Do not try to create mischief in the land (5) You should not neglected your portion in the world. A man should obtain only a portion of the world. The small Qaroons of present era, being a part from their pride could follow the five points and bring people on the true path.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    The mention of hearing with the bounties of the night and the mention of seeing with the bounties of the day shows that the Holy Quran is very eloquent in its comparisons. Because the sense of hearing is useful especially in the dark and the sense of sight when there is light. And light acts as a motive force in the body.

  2. 1

    Indeed the Almighty has indicated towards a unique bounty that He created day after night and night after day so that man gets rest after getting tired from work.

  3. 2

    What a pity! The Almighty is calling man’s attention in this way while man is not paying any heed. He has presented rest and work in a practical manner and mentioned ‘thankfulness’ with ‘Perhaps’ because people are certain to work and rest but there is no certainty they shall also be thankful.

  4. 3

    According to some traditions it refers to a group of forty people.

  5. Benefit

    The wise men of the corrununity gave five advices to Qaroon that are applicable to the wealthy people of every period: (1) One should not be arrogant. (2) The divine bounties should be made the means to achieve the Hereafter (3) One must ignore the limited portion of this world and one must not covet for more. (4) One must do good to other people (5) One should not try to create mischief in the land.