سُوْرَةُ الْقَصَصِ
Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 78
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِىٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًا ۚ وَلَا يُسْـَٔلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ ﴿78﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He said: "This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess." Did he not know that Allâh had destroyed before him generations, men who were stronger than him in might and greater in the amount (of riches) they had collected? But the Mujrimûn (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) will not be questioned of their sins (because Allâh knows them well, so they will be punished without being called to account).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
إِنَّمَآ
innamā
Only
أُوتِيتُهُۥ
ūtītuhu
I have been given it
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on (account)
عِلْمٍ
ʿil'min
(of) knowledge
عِندِىٓ ۚ
ʿindī
I have
أَوَلَمْ
awalam
Did not
يَعْلَمْ
yaʿlam
he know
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
قَدْ
qad
indeed
أَهْلَكَ
ahlaka
destroyed
مِن
min
before him
قَبْلِهِۦ
qablihi
before him
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْقُرُونِ
l-qurūni
the generations
مَنْ
man
who
هُوَ
huwa
[they]
أَشَدُّ
ashaddu
(were) stronger
مِنْهُ
min'hu
than him
قُوَّةًۭ
quwwatan
(in) strength
وَأَكْثَرُ
wa-aktharu
and greater
جَمْعًۭا ۚ
jamʿan
(in) accumulation
وَلَا
walā
And not
يُسْـَٔلُ
yus'alu
will be questioned
عَن
ʿan
about
ذُنُوبِهِمُ
dhunūbihimu
their sins
ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ
l-muj'rimūna
the criminals
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
78-1 In response to these admonitions, he said this. It means that the skill of trade and business that I possess, this wealth is the result and fruit of that, what does it have to do with Allah’s grace and favor? The other meaning that has been given is that Allah has given me this wealth because of His knowledge, that I am deserving of it and He has chosen it for me. As in another place, Allah has quoted another saying of humans, when a person is afflicted with hardship, he calls upon Us, then when We bestow Our favor upon him, he says (اِنَّمَآ اُوْتِيْتُهٗ عَلٰي عِلْمٍ عِنْدِيْ) (28. Al-Qasas: 78) i.e., ‘on account of Allah’s knowledge,’ meaning I received this blessing because, in Allah’s knowledge, I was deserving of it. In another place, it is said, when We show mercy to man after hardship, he says (ھٰذَا لِي) (41. Fussilat: 50) i.e., ‘this is my due’ (Ibn Kathir). Some say that Qarun knew alchemy (the art of making gold), and that is what is meant here, that through this alchemy he earned so much wealth. But Imam Ibn Kathir says that this knowledge is entirely falsehood, deception, and fraud. No person is capable of changing the essence of a thing. Therefore, it was not possible for Qarun either to turn other metals into gold and thus amass heaps of wealth.
78-2 That is, abundance of power and wealth is not a cause of excellence; if it were so, previous nations would not have been destroyed. Therefore, Qarun’s pride in his wealth and considering it a mark of excellence has no justification.
78-3 That is, when sins are so numerous that because of them one becomes deserving of punishment, then there is no questioning, rather, they are suddenly seized and punished.
78-2 That is, abundance of power and wealth is not a cause of excellence; if it were so, previous nations would not have been destroyed. Therefore, Qarun’s pride in his wealth and considering it a mark of excellence has no justification.
78-3 That is, when sins are so numerous that because of them one becomes deserving of punishment, then there is no questioning, rather, they are suddenly seized and punished.
