Surah 28. Al-Qasas

Then We caused the earth to swallow him up, along with his home. There was no one to help him against Allah, nor could he even help himself.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then We caused the earth to swallow him up and his house; and he had not (the least little) party to help him against Allah nor could he defend himself. ³⁴¹¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See n. 3404 above. Cf. also xvi. 45 and n. 2071. Besides the obvious moral in the literal interpretation of the story, that material wealth is fleeting and may be a temptation and a cause of fall, there are some metaphorical implications that occur to me. (1) Material wealth has no value in itself, but only a relative and local value. (2) In body he was with Israel in the wilderness, but his heart was in Egypt with its fertility and its slavery. Such is the case of many hypocrites, who like to be seen in righteous company but whose thoughts, longings, and doing are inconsistent with such company. (3) There is no good in this life but comes from Allah. To think otherwise is to set up a false god besides Allah, Our own merits are so small that they should never be the object of our idolatry. (4) If Qarun on account of his wealth was setting himself up in rivalry with Moses and Aaron, he was blind to the fact that spiritual knowledge is far above any little cleverness in worldly affairs. Mob-leaders have no position before spiritual guides.

And those who had craved his position the previous day began to say, 'Ah! It is certainly Allah Who gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills of His servants. Had it not been for the grace of Allah, He could have surely caused the earth to swallow us up! Oh, indeed! The disbelievers will never succeed.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And those who had envied his position the day before began to say on the morrow: "Ah! it is indeed Allah Who enlarges the provision or restricts it to any of His servants He pleases! Had it not been that Allah was gracious to us He could have caused the earth to swallow us up! Ah! those who reject Allah will assuredly never prosper." ³⁴¹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Provision or Sustenance, both literally and figuratively: wealth and material things in life as well as the things that sustain our higher and spiritual faculties. The rabble, that admired Qarun's wealth when he was in worldly prosperity, now sees the other side of the question and understands that there are other gifts more precious and desirable, and that these may actually be withheld from men who enjoy wealth and worldly prosperity. In fact it is false prosperity, or no prosperity in the real sense of the word, which is without spiritual well-being.

That 'eternal' Home in the Hereafter We reserve 'only' for those who seek neither tyranny nor corruption on the earth. The ultimate outcome belongs 'only' to the righteous.

  - Mustafa Khattab

That House of the Hereafter We shall give to those who intend not high-handedness or mischief on earth: and the End is (best) for the righteous. ³⁴¹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

High-handedness or arrogance, as opposed to submission to the Will of Allah, Islam. Mischief, as opposed to doing good, bringing forth fruits of righteousness. It is the righteous who will win in the end.

Whoever comes with a good deed will be rewarded with what is better. And whoever comes with an evil deed, then the evildoers will only be rewarded for what they used to do.

  - Mustafa Khattab

If any does good the reward to him is better than his deed; but if any does evil the doers of evil are only punished (to the extent) of their deeds. ³⁴¹⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A good deed has its sure reward, and that reward will be better than the merits of the doer. An evil deed may be forgiven by repentance, but in any case will not be punished with a severer penalty than justice demands.

Most certainly, the One Who has ordained the Quran for you will 'ultimately' bring you back home 'to Mecca'.¹ Say, 'My Lord knows best who has come with 'true' guidance and who is clearly astray.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This verse was revealed while the Prophet (ﷺ) was on the way to Medina, emigrating from Mecca after years of persecution. Eventually the Prophet (ﷺ) returned to Mecca and the majority of its people accepted Islam.

Verily He Who ordained the Qur'an for thee will bring thee back to the Place of Return. Say: "My Lord knows best who it is that brings true guidance and who is in manifest error." ^{3415 3416 3617}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

That is: order in His wisdom and mercy that the Qur-an should be revealed, containing guidance for conduct in this life and the next, and further ordered that it should be read out and taught and its principles observed in practice. It is because of this teaching and preaching that the holy Prophet was persecuted, but as Allah sent the Qur-an, He will see that those who follow it will not eventually suffer, but be restored to happiness in the Place of Return, for which see next note.

Place of Return: (1) a title of Makkah; (2) the occasion when we shall be restored to the Presence of our Lord. It is said that this verse was revealed at Juhfa, on the road from Makkah to Madinah, a short distance from Makkah on the Hijrat journey. The Prophet was sad at heart, and this was given as consolation to him. If this was the particular occasion, the general meaning would refer the Place of Return to the occasion of the Resurrection, when all true values will be restored, however they may be disturbed by the temporary interference of evil in this life.

Allah's greatness and infinitude are such that He can create and cherish not only a whole mass, but each individual soul, and He can follow its history and doings until the final Judgment. This shows not only Allah's glory and Omniscience and Omnipotence: it also shows the value of each individual soul in His eyes, and lifts individual responsibility right up into relations with Him.

You never expected this Book to be revealed to you, but 'it came' only 'as' a mercy from your Lord. So never side with the disbelievers 'in their disbelief'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And thou hadst not expected that the Book would be sent to thee except as a Mercy from thy Lord: therefore lend not thou support in any way to those who reject (Allah's Message). ^{3418 3419}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Revelation and the preaching of Truth may in the beginning bring persecution, conflict, and sorrow in its train; but in reality it is the truest mercy from Allah, which comes even without our expecting it, as it came to the Prophets without their consciously asking for it. This is proved in the history of Moses related in this Sura, and the history of the holy Prophet which it is meant to illustrate.

If Allah's Message is unpalatable to evil and is rejected by it, those who accept it may (in their natural human feelings) sometimes wonder that such should be the case, and whether it is really Allah's Will that the conflict which ensues should be pursued. Any such hesitation would lend unconscious support to the aggressions of evil and should be discarded. The servant of Allah stands forth boldly as His Mujahid (fighter of the good fight), daring all, and knowing that Allah is behind him.

Do not let them turn you away from the revelations of Allah after they have been sent down to you. Rather, invite 'all' to 'the Way of' your Lord, and never be one of the polytheists.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And let nothing keep thee back from the Signs of Allah after they have been revealed to thee: and invite (men) to thy Lord and be not of the company of those who join gods with Allah. ³⁴²⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The soldier of Allah, having taken up the fight against evil, and knowing that he is in touch with the true Light, never yields an inch of ground. He is always to the fore in inviting others to his own ranks, but he himself refuses to be with those who worship anything else but Allah.

And do not invoke any other god with Allah. There is no god 'worthy of worship' except Him. Everything is bound to perish except He Himself.¹ All authority belongs to Him. And to Him you will 'all' be returned.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 lit., except His Face.

And call not besides Allah on another god. There is no god but He. Everything (that exists) will perish except His own Face. To him belongs the Command and to him will ye (all) be brought back. ³⁴²¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This sums up the lesson of the whole Sura. The only Eternal Reality is Allah. The whole phenomenal world is subject to flux and change and will pass away, but He will endure for ever.