“But those endowed with knowledge said, ‘Woe to you! Allah’s reward is better for those who believe and do righteous deeds; but none attains it except the patient.’ (80) So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling; and he had no party to help him besides Allah, nor was he able to defend himself. (81)

“But those endowed with knowledge,” Ibn Abbas said, means the learned men among the Children of Israel. Muqatil said: They had been given knowledge of what Allah had promised in the Hereafter. They said to those who had wished for the like of what Qarun had been given in this world: “Woe to you! Allah’s reward is better”—that is, the reward and recompense with Allah are better—“for those who believe” and affirm Allah’s oneness, “and do righteous deeds,” than what Qarun was given in this world. “But none attains it except the patient.” Muqatil said: None is granted it—that is, righteous deeds. Al-Kalbi said: None is given it in the Hereafter. It was also said: None is granted the ability to utter this statement—namely, “Woe to you! Allah’s reward is better”—except those who are patient in obedience to Allah and in resisting the adornments of this world.

His saying, exalted is He: “So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling.” Scholars versed in transmitted reports said: Qarun was the most knowledgeable of the Children of Israel after Moses and Aaron, the most learned of them in the Torah, the most handsome, and the wealthiest. 65/b He had a beautiful voice, yet he transgressed and rebelled. The first instance of his transgression and disobedience was that Allah revealed to Moses that he should command his people to fasten four threads to their outer garments, with one blue thread at each edge, the color of the sky, so that they would remember Him whenever they looked at them and know that He sends down His speech from it.

Moses said, “My Lord, will You not command them to make all their garments green? For the Children of Israel regard these threads as insignificant.” His Lord said to him, “O Moses, the small matters I command are not insignificant. If they do not obey Me in a small command, they will not obey Me in a great command.” [Then Moses summoned them] (1) and said, “Allah commands you to attach green threads, the color of the sky, to your garments, so that you may remember your Lord whenever you see them.” The Children of Israel did what Moses commanded them, but Qarun acted arrogantly and did not obey him. He said, “Masters only do this to their servants so that they may be distinguished from others.” This was the beginning of his disobedience and transgression.

When Moses led the Children of Israel across the sea, the high-priestly office—the leadership of the altar—was assigned to Aaron. The Children of Israel would bring their offerings to Aaron, and he would place them upon the altar; then fire would descend from the sky and consume them. Qarun resented this, and he came to Moses and said, “O Moses, you have the messengership, Aaron has the high-priestly office, and I have no share in either of them, though I am a reader of the Torah. I cannot bear this.”

Moses said to him, “I did not assign it to Aaron; rather, Allah assigned it to him.” Qarun said, “By Allah, I will not believe you until you show me clear proof of it.” So Moses gathered the chiefs of the Children of Israel and said, “Bring your staffs.” He tied them together and threw them into his tent, where he used to