Page 109 - The Arrogance of Satan

107
The Modesty of Believers

He went out among his people in his finery. Those who
desired the life of the world said, "Oh! If only we had
the same as Qarun has been given! What immense good
fortune he possesses."

But those who had been given knowledge said, "Woe to
you! Allah' s reward is better for those who believe and
act rightly. But only the steadfast will obtain it."
We caused the earth to swallow up both him and his
house. There was no group to come to his aid, besides
Allah, and he was not someone who is helped.
Those who had longed to take his place the day before
woke up saying, "Allah expands the provision of any of
His servants He wills or restricts it. If Allah had not
shown great kindness to us, we would have been
swallowed up as well. Ah! Truly the disbelievers are not
successful."

That abode of the hereafter-We grant it to those who do
not seek to exalt themselves in the earth or to cause
corruption in it. The successful outcome is for those
who do their duty. (Surat al-Qasas: 79-83)
It may well be that those who desired Qarun' s belongings
were not as proud as he; or, they might have lacked "self-
assurance." Yet, if they had been in his shoes, they would,
most probably, also have been as arrogant as Qarun. That is
because, just as Qarun had, they failed to grasp that the real
owner of everything is Allah. They only grasped this fact
when they witnessed the end of Qarun.
The truly modest ones were the believers who "had been
given knowledge," that is, those who had grasped the secret
of life. Aware that what Qarun possessed was temporal, and