2. Qarun
“Qarun was one of the people of Musa but he
lorded it over them. We gave him treasures, the
keys alone to which were a heavy weight for a
party of strong men. Thereupon his people said to
him, “Do not gloat. Allah does not love people who
gloat.”" (Surah Al Qasas 28:76)
3. As the above-quoted verse maintains, the treasures and
status Qarun possessed in Egypt made him grow arrogant
and insolent towards his people. To test him, Allah granted
him an enormous fortune, and as is the case with all
arrogant people, he was spoilt by them.
He forgot that all possessions belong to Allah, and that He
can take them back any time He wishes, and failed to
recognise that these were granted to him as a test. Due to
his arrogance, he thought that they were all given to him
because he had “knowledge” and possessed superior
qualities:
4. “He said, “I have only been given it because of
knowledge I have.” Did he not know that before
him Allah had destroyed generations with far
greater strength than his and far more
possessions? The evildoers will not be questioned
about their sins.” (Surah Al Qasas 28:78)
5. This is the deviant outlook of the arrogant. Although it is Allah
Who has given man whatever he has, the arrogant boast of their
possessions and do not feel grateful to Allah or ask forgiveness
from Him. They do not bother themselves with thinking, even
for a second, that they could lose all these gifts in an instant.
However, as we are to understand from this verse, many people,
who were wealthier or more powerful than Qarun, perished on
account of their arrogance.
Like those of the past, Qarun received his punishment in this
world. If he had been as powerful as he assumed himself to be,
he would have been able to rescue himself. Yet, neither his
status, nor his possessions, nor the people who admired him, nor
the knowledge for which he boasted, could save him from Allah’
s punishment:
6. “We caused the earth to swallow up both him and
his house. There was no group to come to his aid,
besides Allah, and he was not someone who is
helped. Those who had longed to take his place
the day before woke up saying, “Allah expands the
provision of any of His servants He wills or
restricts it. If Allah had not shown great kindness
to us, we would have been swallowed up as well.
Ah! Truly the disbelievers are not
successful.”" (Surah Al Qasas 28:81-82)
7. Haman
As we are to understand from the Quran, “Haman” is
one of the men closest to Pharaoh, and who obeyed
him and acted in compliance with his methodology.
Being insolent and rebellious, he sided with Pharaoh
and remained a loyal supporter to him. When Musa
(AS) came to his people to communicate Allah’ s
message, Haman was there to oppose him along with
Pharaoh:
8. “We sent Musa with Our Signs and clear authority
to Pharaoh, Haman and Qarun. But they said, “A
lying magician.” When he brought them the truth
from Us they said, “Slaughter the sons of those
who believe with him but let their women live.”
The stratagems of the disbelievers are nothing but
errors.” (Surah Ghafir 40:23-25)
9. Pharaoh’s immoral conduct towards Musa (AS) was
similarly adopted by Haman. Furthermore, he shared
Pharaoh’s errant reasoning and complied with all his
wishes. As the verse below maintains, Pharaoh asked
Haman to build a tower to see Allah (Surely Allah is
beyond this):
10. “Pharaoh said, “Council, I do not know of any
other god for you apart from Me. Haman, kindle a
fire for me over the clay and build me a lofty tower
so that perhaps I may be able to climb up to
Musa’s god! I consider him a blatant liar.”" (Surah
Al Qasas 28:38)
11. However, Haman, who, out of conceit, was insistent on
refusing to submit to Allah and His messenger, met
the same end as Satan and Pharaoh. He tasted the
inevitable end slated for the arrogant:
12. “And Qarun and Pharaoh and Haman — Musa
came with the Clear Signs to them, but they were
arrogant on the earth. They could not outstrip Us.
We seized each one of them for their wrong
actions. Against some We sent a sudden squall of
stones; some of them were seized by the Great
Blast; some We caused the earth to swallow up;
and some We drowned. Allah did not wrong them;
rather they wronged themselves.” (Surah Al
‘Ankabut 29:39-40)
