Quran Quote  :  O men! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single being and out of it created its mate - 4:1

Quran-28:78 Surah Al-qasas English Translation,Transliteration and Tafsir(Tafseer).

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

Transliteration:( Qaala innamaaa ootee tuhoo 'alaa 'ilmin 'indeee; awalam ya'lam annal laaha qad ahlaka min qablihee minal qurooni man huwa ashaddu minhu quwwatanw wa aksaru jam'aa; wa laa yus'alu 'an zunoobihimul mujrimoon )

78. He said, "This has been given to me only because of a knowledge I possess [192]. Does he not know that Allah has destroyed [193] before him such generations who were stronger than him and greater in accumulation [194]? And the criminals will not be questioned about their sins [195]." (Kanzul Imaan Translation)

(78) 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.[1119] (Saheen International Translation)

Surah Al-Qasas Ayat 78 Tafsir (Commentry)



  • Tafseer-e-Naeemi (Ahmad Yaar Khan)
  • Ibn Kathir
  • Ala-Madudi
  • Shaheen International

192. By this knowledge is intended knowledge of the Taurah or knowledge of alchemy" which he had obtained from Hazrat Moosa (On whom be peace).He would make silver from tin and gold from copper. Or knowledge of commerce. of agriculture of knowledge of other types of trades. By this is meant, what kindness of Allah Almighty is upon me I have earned all this wealth through my own knowledge

193 Qaroon thought that because he had possessed knowledge. wealth, power, piety, Society, so none could harm him, nor can Divine punishment come upon him. This verse repudiates his thinking. The infidels before you had more skills power and organizations with them, but because of their disobedience to Allah Almighty when Divine punishment came to them, no one was able to ward it off.

194. By to accumulate is meant accumulation of wealth or big congregations, while strength signifies physical strength and health .This means the people of Add and Thamood were very brave, and the people of Namrood were very wealthy, but their strength and wealth could not save them from Divine punishment.

195. This will take place at one time. At another time reckoning will take place Or it could mean it is not necessary for Allah Almighty to ask, asking them would be for the purpose of embarrassing them. On the Day of Judgement the infidel would be recognised from his own face. Every person would be able to distinguish the believer and the infidel from their faces.

Ibn-Kathir

78. He said: “This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess.” 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 But the criminals will not be questioned of their sins.


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.

(28:78) He replied: “All this has been given to me on account of a certain knowledge that I have.”[97] Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him those who were stronger in might[98] than he and were more numerous in multitude? The wicked are not asked about their acts of sin.[99]

Ala-Maududi

(28:78) He replied: “All this has been given to me on account of a certain knowledge that I have.”[97] Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him those who were stronger in might[98] than he and were more numerous in multitude? The wicked are not asked about their acts of sin.[99]


97. The words of the text can have two meanings: (1) “Whatever I have obtained is by virtue of my own ability. It is not a bounty which somebody else might have given me as a favor without my deserving it as a right, and now I may have to render thanks for it by giving a portion of it to those who have not been given anything, as a favor, or give some of it in charity so that the bounty is not withdrawn from me.” (2) “I think God has given me this wealth in view of my qualities and excellences. Had I not been a likable person, He would not have given me all this. That He has bestowed on me all kinds of blessings is a proof that I am His favorite and he approves of the way of life that I am following.”

98. That is, “Did this person who was proud of being so knowledgeable and wise and well informed and capable never know that people with greater wealth and grandeur and power and might than him had lived before him in the world, and Allah at last, had annihilated them completely? If capability and skill and competence are the only factors conducive to worldly progress, then why didn’t these virtues avail them when they were destroyed? And if the worldly progress of a person is a sure proof that Allah is pleased with him and approves of his deeds and qualities, then why were those people doomed to destruction at all?”

99. That is, “The criminals have always been claiming to be the best people, who are free from every evil, but their punishment is not dependent on their own confessions. Whenever they are seized; they are not seized on the basis of their own confessions of sins, etc.”

(78) 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.[1119]

[1119]- There will be no need to enumerate their sins separately, as their quantity is obvious and more than sufficient to warrant punishment in Hell.

Surah Al-Qasas All Ayat (Verses)

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