Quran Verses about Qarun (Korah)

وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٍ ٢٣

Wa laqad arsalnā mūsā biʾāyātinā wa sulṭānim mubīn.

And We did certainly send Moses with Our signs and a clear authority¹

إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَ وَقَٰرُونَ فَقَالُواْ سَٰحِرٞ كَذَّابٞ ٢٤

Ilā firʿawna wa hāmāna wa qārūna faqālū sāḥirun kadhdhāb.

To Pharaoh, Hāmān and Qārūn, but they said, "[He is] a magician and a liar."

۞ إِنَّ قَٰرُونَ كَانَ مِن قَوۡمِ مُوسَىٰ فَبَغَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡكُنُوزِ مَآ إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُۥ لَتَنُوٓأُ بِٱلۡعُصۡبَةِ أُوْلِي ٱلۡقُوَّةِ إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُۥ قَوۡمُهُۥ لَا تَفۡرَحۡۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡفَرِحِينَ ٧٦

Inna qārūna kāna min qawmi mūsā fabaghā ʿalayhim, wa ātaynāhu minal-kunūzi mā inna mafātiḥahū latanūʾu bil-ʿuṣbati ulil-quwwati idh qāla lahū qawmuhū lā tafraḥ, innallāha lā yuḥibbul-fariḥīn.

Indeed, Qārūn was from the people of Moses, but he tyrannized them. And We gave him of treasures whose keys would burden a band of strong men; thereupon his people said to him, "Do not exult. Indeed, Allāh does not like the exultant.

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

Wabtaghi fīmā ātākallāhud-dāral-ākhirah, wa lā tansa naṣībaka minad-dunyā, wa aḥsin kamā aḥsanallāhu ilayk, wa lā tabghil-fasāda fil-arḍ, innallāha lā yuḥibbul-mufsidīn.

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."

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

Qāla innamā ūtītuhū ʿalā ʿilmin ʿindī, awalam yaʿlam annallāha qad ahlaka min qablihī minal-qurūni man huwa ashaddu minhu quwwataw wa aktharu jamʿā, wa lā yusʾalu ʿan dhunūbihimul-mujrimūn.

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

فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ فِي زِينَتِهِۦۖ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا يَٰلَيۡتَ لَنَا مِثۡلَ مَآ أُوتِيَ قَٰرُونُ إِنَّهُۥ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٖ ٧٩

Fakharaja ʿalā qawmihī fī zīnatih, qālal-ladhīna yurīdūnal-ḥayātad-dunyā yālayta lanā mithla mā ūtiya qārūnu innahū ladhū ḥaẓẓin ʿaẓīm.

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."

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ وَيۡلَكُمۡ ثَوَابُ ٱللَّهِ خَيۡرٞ لِّمَنۡ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗاۚ وَلَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلصَّٰبِرُونَ ٨٠

Wa qālal-ladhīna ūtul-ʿilma waylakum thawābullāhi khayrul liman āmana wa ʿamila ṣāliḥā, wa lā yulaqqāhā illaṣ-ṣābirūn.

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."

فَخَسَفۡنَا بِهِۦ وَبِدَارِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَمَا كَانَ لَهُۥ مِن فِئَةٖ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنتَصِرِينَ ٨١

Fakhasafnā bihī wabidārihil-arḍa famā kāna lahū min fiʾatiy yanṣurūnahū min dūnillāhi wa mā kāna minal-muntaṣirīn.

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.

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

Wa aṣbaḥal-ladhīna tamannaw makānahū bil-amsi yaqūlūna waykaʾannallāha yabsuṭur-rizqa limay yashāʾu min ʿibādihī wa yaqdir, lawlā am mannallāhu ʿalaynā lakhasafa binā, waykaʾannahū lā yufliḥul-kāfirūn.

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!"

تِلۡكَ ٱلدَّارُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ نَجۡعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوّٗا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فَسَادٗاۚ وَٱلۡعَٰقِبَةُ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ ٨٣

Tilkad-dārul-ākhiratu najʿaluhā lil-ladhīna lā yurīdūna ʿuluwwan fil-arḍi wa lā fasādā, wal-ʿāqibatu lil-muttaqīn.

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.

وَقَٰرُونَ وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَۖ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا كَانُواْ سَٰبِقِينَ ٣٩

Wa qārūna wa firʿawna wa hāmān, wa laqad jāʾahum mūsā bil-bayyināti fastakbarū fil-arḍi wa mā kānū sābiqīn.

And [We destroyed] Qārūn and Pharaoh and Hāmān. And Moses had already come to them with clear evidences, and they were arrogant in the land, but they were not outrunners [of Our punishment].

فَكُلًّا أَخَذۡنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ حَاصِبٗا وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَخَذَتۡهُ ٱلصَّيۡحَةُ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ خَسَفۡنَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَغۡرَقۡنَاۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظۡلِمَهُمۡ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ ٤٠

Fakullan akhadhnā bidhanbih, faminhum man arsalnā ʿalayhi ḥāṣibaw wa minhum man akhadhathuṣ-ṣayḥatu wa minhum man khasafnā bihil-arḍa wa minhum man aghraqnā, wa mā kānallāhu liyaẓlimahum wa lākin kānū anfusahum yaẓlimūn.

So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allāh would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.