English Translation of Al-Quran
[28].Surah Al-Qasas [The Narration]
Ayat 76. Verily, Qaroon (Korah) was of Musa’s AS (Moses) tribe & people, but he behaved arrogantly towards them. And We gave him of the treasures, that of which the keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men. When his people said to him: “Do not be glad (with ungratefulness to Allah’s Favors’). Verily! Allah likes not those who are glad (with ungratefulness to Allah’s Favors’)
Tafseer of Surah Al-Qasas Ayat 76. Qaroon was doubtless, of the people of Moses AS tribe the Bani Israel; but he acted insolently towards them: such were the treasures We had bestowed on him that their very keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men: Behold, his people said to him: “Exult not, for Allah loves not those who exult (in riches). Qaroon is identified with the Korah of the English Bible. His story is told in Num. 16:1-35. He and his followers, numbering 250 men, rose in rebellion against Moses PBUH and Aaron PBUH, on the ground that their position and fame in the congregation entitled them to equality in spiritual matters with the Priests-that they were as holy as any, and they claimed to burn incense at the sacred Altar reserved for the Priests. They had an exemplary punishment: “the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods: they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.” Qaroon’s boundless wealth is described in the Midrashim, or the Jewish compilations based on the moral teachings of the Synagogues, which however exaggerate the weight of the keys to be the equivalent of the load of 300 mules!’ Us bah: a body of men here used indefinitely. It usually implies a body of 10 to 40 men. The old-fashioned keys were big and heavy, and if there were hundreds of treasure chests, the keys must have been a great weight. As they were travelling in the desert, the treasures were presumably left behind in Egypt, and only the keys were carried. The disloyal Qaroon had left his heart in Egypt, with his treasures.
English Translation of Hadith
Hazrat Salamah bin Al-Akwa` (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, “Man continues to display haughtiness and arrogance until he is recorded among the arrogant and will be therefore afflicted with what afflicts them.”
[At-Tirmidhi Hadith # 2000]
Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Qasas Ayat 76. “Verily! Allah likes not those who are glad (with ungratefulness to Allah’s Favors’)” To adopt the habits and manners of good people is deemed to be desirable. But, on the contrary, to take to the bad ways of bad people is considered undesirable. A man will ultimately be counted among those people whom he will take as a model to emulate, because he is gradually fitted into their framework and assimilates all of their qualities. Quite naturally then retribution will be administered to him accordingly.
