Surah Al-Qasas: Verses (82 - 83)

And those who wished...

Know that the people who witnessed Qarun in his splendor, when they saw what befell him with the sinking [into the earth], that served as a deterrent for them against loving the world and opposing Moses, peace be upon him. It was an invitation to be content with the decree and division of Allah Almighty, and to show obedience and submission to the prophets and messengers of Allah.

As for His saying: {They say, "And is it that Allah..."}

Know that way (وَي) is a word separate from ka'anna (كأن). It is a word used upon realizing a mistake and expressing regret. When they had said: {The worldly life! Oh, if only we had like what Qarun has been given} (Al-Qasas: 79), and then they witnessed the sinking, they realized their error and said, Way (وَي). Then they said, Ka'anna (as if) Allah expands the provision for whomever He wills among His servants according to His will and wisdom, not due to His honor for that person, and restricts it from whomever He wills, not due to contempt for the one from whom He restricts, but due to His wisdom and decree, as a trial and a test.

Sibawayh said: I asked Al-Khalil about this letter (وَي), and he said that way is separate from ka'anna, and that the people were alerted and said it regretfully for what had preceded from them: Way.

Al-Farra' mentioned two interpretations:

1. The meaning is Waylak (ويلك - Woe to you), and the lam (ل) was omitted. This omission was permissible due to its frequent use in speech. And an (أن) is made accusative (أنَّ) by an implied verb, as if he said: Woe to you, know that Allah... This is the view of Qatrub, narrated from Yunus.
2. Way (وَي) is separate from ka'anna (كأن) and is for astonishment. A man says to another: Way, do you not see what is before you? Then Allah said Way, and then started anew with Ka'anna (as if) Allah expands... Thus, Allah Almighty mentioned it to express astonishment at His creation.

Al-Wahidi said: This is a sound interpretation, except that the Arabs did not write it separated. If it were according to what they said, they would have written it separated. The first group responded that the script of the Mus'haf (Quranic text) is not to be measured against (linguistic rules).

Then they said: {Had it not been for the favor of Allah upon us, He would have caused us to sink. And it seems that the disbelievers do not succeed}. This is an emphasis on what preceded.

As for His saying: {That is the Home of the Hereafter}

This is to magnify it and emphasize its status, meaning: That which you heard mentioned and reached you in description. The promise was not tied to abandoning arrogance and corruption, but to abandoning the desire for them and the inclination of the heart towards them.

'Ali, peace be upon him, said: A man may be pleased that the strap of his sandal is better than the strap of his companion's sandal, and this falls under it [i.e., the desire for superiority].

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: Some greedy people attribute arrogance to Pharaoh due to his saying: {Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land} (Al-Qasas: 4), and corruption to Qarun due to his saying: {And do not seek corruption in the land} (Al-Qasas: 77). They say that whoever is not like Pharaoh and Qarun will have that Home of the Hereafter, yet they do not ponder the saying: {And the good end is for the pious} as 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, pondered it.

7 < { Whoever comes with a good deed, he 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. * Indeed, He Who imposed the Qur'an upon you will surely return you to a place of return. Say, "My Lord is most knowing of who has brought guidance and who is in clear error." * And you were not expecting that the Book would be sent down to you except as a mercy from your Lord. So never be an assistant to the disbelievers. * And never let them turn you away from the verses of Allah after they have been revealed to you, and invite [people] to your Lord and never be of the polytheists. * And do not invoke with Allah any other deity. There is no deity except Him. Everything will perish except His Face. His is the judgment, and to Him you will be returned. } > 7 !