DAY 234: Qasas 76-88

•  Indeed, Korah was from the people of Moses, but he behaved arrogantly towards them. We had granted him such treasures that even their keys would burden a group of strong men. ˹Some of˺ his people advised him, “Do not be prideful! Surely Allah does not like the prideful. Rather, seek the ˹reward˺ of the Hereafter by means of what Allah has granted you, without forgetting your share of this world. And be good ˹to others˺ as Allah has been good to you. Do not seek to spread corruption in the land, for Allah certainly does not like the corruptors.” He replied, “I have been granted all this because of some knowledge I have.” Did he not know that Allah had already destroyed some from the generations before him who were far superior to him in power and greater in accumulating ˹wealth˺? There will be no need for the wicked to be asked about their sins. Then he came out before his people in all his glamour. Those who desired the life of this world wished, “If only we could have something like what Korah has been given. He is truly a man of great fortune!” But those gifted with knowledge said, “Shame on you! Allah’s reward is far better for those who believe and do good. But none will attain this except the steadfast.” 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. 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.” 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. 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. Most certainly, the One Who has ordained the Quran for you will ˹ultimately˺ bring you back home ˹to Mecca˺. Say, “My Lord knows best who has come with ˹true˺ guidance and who is clearly astray.”  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˺. 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. 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. All authority belongs to Him. And to Him you will ˹all˺ be returned.
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      The Danger of Wealth and Arrogance: Qarun's story is a eternal warning that wealth and knowledge are tests from Allah; attributing them to oneself leads to utter destruction.
      The Clarity of True Knowledge: Worldly envy is based on illusion, while true knowledge from faith sees the ultimate reality of the Hereafter.
      Allah's Absolute Control: Provision, success, and failure are entirely in Allah's hands. What appears as loss might be gain, and what appears as gain (like Qarun's wealth) might be a curse.
      The Prophet's Solace: The bearer of the message is reassured that Allah will complete His promise to him and that he must never compromise the message for the sake of the disbelievers.
      The Ultimate Reality: The entire universe is transient. The only permanent, unchanging reality is Allah Himself. Therefore, aligning one's life with His command is the only path to true and lasting success. 
      
      Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgment] 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 for what they used to do.
  
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