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Surah Al-Qasas, Ayah 78 (28:78)

ٱلْقَصَص

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِىٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن …

Quran 28:78 is ayah 78 of Surah Al-Qasas (“The Stories”), a Meccan surah of 88 ayahs. It is in Juz 20, on page 395 of the Madani Mushaf.

28:78
قَالَإِنَّمَآأُوتِيتُهُۥعَلَىٰعِلْمٍعِندِىٓ ۚأَوَلَمْيَعْلَمْأَنَّٱللَّهَقَدْأَهْلَكَمِنقَبْلِهِۦمِنَٱلْقُرُونِمَنْهُوَأَشَدُّمِنْهُقُوَّةًوَأَكْثَرُجَمْعًا ۚوَلَايُسَْٔلُعَنذُنُوبِهِمُٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ٧٨
qāla innamā ūtītuhu ʿalā ʿil'min ʿindī awalam yaʿlam anna l-laha qad ahlaka min qablihi mina l-qurūni man huwa ashaddu min'hu quwwatan wa-aktharu jamʿan walā yus'alu ʿan dhunūbihimu l-muj'rimūna

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.(78)

Word by word

  1. قَالَqālaHe said
  2. إِنَّمَآinnamāOnly
  3. أُوتِيتُهُۥūtītuhuI have been given it
  4. عَلَىٰʿalāon (account)
  5. عِلْمٍʿil'min(of) knowledge
  6. عِندِىٓ ۚʿindīI have
  7. أَوَلَمْawalamDid not
  8. يَعْلَمْyaʿlamhe know
  9. أَنَّannathat
  10. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  11. قَدْqadindeed
  12. أَهْلَكَahlakadestroyed
  13. مِنminbefore him
  14. قَبْلِهِۦqablihibefore him
  15. مِنَminaof
  16. ٱلْقُرُونِl-qurūnithe generations
  17. مَنْmanwho
  18. هُوَhuwa[they]
  19. أَشَدُّashaddu(were) stronger
  20. مِنْهُmin'huthan him
  21. قُوَّةًquwwatan(in) strength
  22. وَأَكْثَرُwa-aktharuand greater
  23. جَمْعًا ۚjamʿan(in) accumulation
  24. وَلَاwalāAnd not
  25. يُسَْٔلُyus'aluwill be questioned
  26. عَنʿanabout
  27. ذُنُوبِهِمُdhunūbihimutheir sins
  28. ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَl-muj'rimūnathe criminals

Tafsir (commentary) of 28:78

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Allah informs us how Qarun responded to the exhortations of his people when they sought to guide him

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِندِى

(He said: "This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess.") meaning, `I have no need of your advice; Allah has only given me this wealth because He knows that I deserve it and because He loves me. ' In other words: `He has given it to me because He knows that I am fit for this.' This is like the Ayat:

فَإِذَا مَسَّ الإِنسَـنَ ضُرٌّ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلْنَـهُ نِعْمَةً مِّنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ

(When harm touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We have changed it into a favor from Us, he says: "Only because of knowledge I obtained it.") (39:49) An alternative interpretation of this Ayah says that the meaning is: "Only because of what Allah knows about me did I obtain this favor." This is like His saying:

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَـهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا مِن بَعْدِ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ هَـذَا لِى

(And truly, if We give him a taste of mercy from Us, after some adversity has touched him, he is sure to say: "This is from me.") (41:50) meaning, "I deserved it." Imam `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam explained this Ayah very well. Concerning the phrase,

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عِندِى

(He said: "This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess.") He said: "Were it not for the fact that Allah is pleased with me and knows my virtue, He would not have given me this wealth." And He said:

أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعاً

(Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations, men who were stronger than him in might and greater in the amount they had collected) This is what those who have little knowledge say when they see a person whom Allah has granted a lot of wealth; they say that if he did not deserve it, Allah would not have given it to him.

Read the full Surah Al-Qasas