Al-Mukhtasar · Tafsir · in English
Al-Qasas 28:77–88
28:77Page 394
وَٱبۡتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَأَحۡسِن كَمَآ أَحۡسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَلَا تَبۡغِ ٱلۡفَسَادَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ ٧٧
But seek, through that which Allāh has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allāh has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allāh does not like corrupters."
And seek by the wealth Allah has given you the reward of the abode of the afterlife, by spending it in avenues of good. Do not forget your share of food, drink, clothes, and so forth amongst the blessings, without excessiveness or pride. And deal well with your Lord and with His servants, just as Allah has been good to you. Do not seek corruption on earth by committing sins and leaving obedience. Allah does not love those who cause corruption on earth through that. In fact, he despises them”.
28:78Page 395
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ عِندِيٓۚ أَوَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدۡ أَهۡلَكَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ مَنۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡهُ قُوَّةٗ وَأَكۡثَرُ جَمۡعٗاۚ وَلَا يُسۡـَٔلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ ٧٨
He said, "I was only given it because of knowledge I have." Did he not know that Allāh had destroyed before him of generations those who were greater than him in power and greater in accumulation [of wealth]? But the criminals, about their sins, will not be asked.1
Qarun said: “I have only been given this wealth because of the knowledge and power I have, so I am deserving of that”. Did Qarun not know that Allah had destroyed nations before him who were stronger and who had gathered more wealth? But there power or wealth did not benefit them. On the Day of Judgment, the wrongdoers will not be interrogated about their sins due to Allah's complete knowledge of them and any questioning they will face is for reprimand and censure.
28:79Page 395
فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ فِي زِينَتِهِۦۖ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا يَٰلَيۡتَ لَنَا مِثۡلَ مَآ أُوتِيَ قَٰرُونُ إِنَّهُۥ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٖ ٧٩
So he came out before his people in his adornment. Those who desired the worldly life said, "Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qārūn. Indeed, he is one of great fortune."
Qarun came out in his adornment, showing off his wealth and status. Those amongst Qarun’s companions who were desirous of the adornment of the worldly life said: “If only we were given worldly adornment like Qarun has been given. Indeed he has been given a great share of everything!”.
28:80Page 395
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ وَيۡلَكُمۡ ثَوَابُ ٱللَّهِ خَيۡرٞ لِّمَنۡ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗاۚ وَلَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلصَّٰبِرُونَ ٨٠
But those who had been given knowledge said, "Woe to you! The reward of Allāh is better for he who believes and does righteousness. And none are granted it except the patient."
Those given knowledge said when they saw Qarun in his adornment and when they heard what his companions wished for: “Woe unto you! The reward of Allah in the afterlife and the pleasure He has prepared for those who bring faith and do good deeds is better than the worldly splendour given to Qarun”. And none are granted the ability to say this statement and act accordingly except the patient who persevere in preferring the reward with Allah over the temporary enjoyment of this world.
28:81Page 395
فَخَسَفۡنَا بِهِۦ وَبِدَارِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَمَا كَانَ لَهُۥ مِن فِئَةٖ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنتَصِرِينَ ٨١
And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allāh, nor was he of those who [could] defend themselves.
Then I made the earth swallow him and his house, along with all in it, in retribution for his transgression. He had no group to help him against Allah nor was he amongst those who can help themselves.
28:82Page 395
وَأَصۡبَحَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوۡاْ مَكَانَهُۥ بِٱلۡأَمۡسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيۡكَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقۡدِرُۖ لَوۡلَآ أَن مَّنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَاۖ وَيۡكَأَنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ ٨٢
And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, "Oh, how Allāh extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allāh had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!"
Those who wished for the wealth and adornment he had before being swallowed up began saying heedfully: “Did we not know that Allah extends sustenance for whom He wishes amongst His servants and restricts it for whomever He wishes amongst them? Had Allah not favoured us by not punishing us for what we said, He would have made the earth swallow us as He did with Qarun. The disbelievers are not successful, neither in this life or the afterlife, but rather their return and outcome is loss in both”.
28:83Page 395
تِلۡكَ ٱلدَّارُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ نَجۡعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوّٗا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فَسَادٗاۚ وَٱلۡعَٰقِبَةُ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ ٨٣
That home of the Hereafter We assign to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous.
That is the abode of the afterlife which I shall make an abode of pleasure and honour for those who do not seek to be arrogant on earth by turning away from faith in the truth and its followers, nor do they want corruption in it. And the praiseworthy outcome, in the form of the enjoyment of paradise and the pleasure of Allah therein, is for those who are mindful of their Lord by carrying out His commands and refraining from His prohibitions.
28:84Page 395
مَن جَآءَ بِٱلۡحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡهَاۖ وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجۡزَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ إِلَّا مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٨٤
Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have better than it; and whoever comes with an evil deed - then those who did evil deeds will not be recompensed except [as much as] what they used to do.
Whoever brings a good deed on the Day of Judgment, such as prayer, Zakat, fasting and so forth, for him is a good reward for that good deed, where the good deed will be multiplied to ten the like thereof. And whoever brings a bad deed on the Day of Judgment, such as disbelief, consuming interest, adultery and so forth, then those who did bad deeds will not be rewarded except as much as they did, without any increase.
28:85Page 396
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِي فَرَضَ عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ لَرَآدُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٖۚ قُل رَّبِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ مَن جَآءَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَمَنۡ هُوَ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ ٨٥
Indeed, [O Muḥammad], He who imposed upon you the Qur’ān will take you back to a place of return.1 Say, "My Lord is most knowing of who brings guidance and who is in clear error."
The One who revealed the Qur’ān to you and made it compulsory upon you to convey it and act upon it is going to return you to Makkah victoriously. O Messenger, say to the idolaters: “My Lord knows best who has brought guidance and who is clearly astray from guidance and truth”.
28:86Page 396
وَمَا كُنتَ تَرۡجُوٓاْ أَن يُلۡقَىٰٓ إِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبُ إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ مِّن رَّبِّكَۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ ظَهِيرٗا لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٨٦
And you were not expecting that the Book would be conveyed to you, but [it is] a mercy from your Lord. So do not be an assistant to the disbelievers.1
O Messenger, you did not expect, before prophethood, that the Qur’ān would be revealed to you, as revelation from Allah. However, His mercy required it to be revealed to you, so do not be a helper to the disbelievers in the misguidance they are upon.
28:87Page 396
وَلَا يَصُدُّنَّكَ عَنۡ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ بَعۡدَ إِذۡ أُنزِلَتۡ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَٱدۡعُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَۖ وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ٨٧
And never let them avert you from the verses of Allāh after they have been revealed to you. And invite [people] to your Lord. And never be of those who associate others with Allāh.
These idolaters should not turn you away from the verses of Allah after they have been revealed to you, making you leave reciting and conveying them. And call people towards faith in Allah, declaring His Oneness, and acting on His sacred law. And do not become from the idolaters who worship others besides Allah, but rather be from those who declare Allah’s Oneness and only worship Allah alone.
28:88Page 396
وَلَا تَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَۘ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ كُلُّ شَيۡءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجۡهَهُۥۚ لَهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمُ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ٨٨
And do not invoke with Allāh another deity. There is no deity except Him. Everything will be destroyed except His Face.1 His is the judgement, and to Him you will be returned.
And do not worship alongside Allah any god besides Him. There is no true god besides Him. Everything will perish besides His Face. For Him alone is the judgment; He judges as He wishes. And to Him alone you will be returned on the day of judgment to be reckoned and rewarded.
Text: Quranic Universal Library (Tarteel), via spa5k/tafsir_api (MIT), at a fixed version. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences