Transliteration:( Wa Qaaroona wa Fir'awna wa haamaana wa laqad jaaa'ahum Moosa bilbaiyinaati fastakbaroo fil ardi wa maa kaanoo saabiqeen )
"And Qarun [94], and Fir'awn [95], and Haman. And indeed, Musa came to them with clear signs, but they showed arrogance in the land [96] and could not outpace Us [97]."
Though Qarun was not a rejecter of all religious principles like Fir'awn and Haman, he denied the obligation of Zakat, which in itself became a cause for disbelief. This shows that denying even one essential aspect of Islam—like Zakat—is equivalent to rejecting the faith in entirety. Hence, Qarun is mentioned alongside the other tyrants. The example of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (رضي الله عنه) declaring war against those who withheld Zakat reinforces this point.
Qarun was from the noble family of Musa (عليه السلام), yet that lineage could not save him from divine punishment. The verse implicitly warns the Quraish: ancestral pride—even if one descends from Prophets—is meaningless without righteousness. The sequence of mention—Qarun before Fir'awn—is significant because of Qarun's family status, making his arrogance and rejection more striking.
All three—Qarun, Fir'awn, and Haman—displayed arrogance, albeit in different ways: Fir'awn and Haman by denying prophethood and Tawheed, and Qarun by denying a major command of the Shari'ah. This confirms that arrogance is not just in speech or status, but also in refusing divine commandments.
The phrase "they could not outpace Us" affirms that none of them could escape Allah’s punishment, no matter how powerful or cunning they were. This applies to all tyrants and rebellious nations, not just the three named. When divine punishment comes, it is swift, inescapable, and absolute.
The tafsir of Surah Ankabut verse 39 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Ankabut ayat 38 which provides the complete commentary from verse 38 through 40.
(29:39) And We destroyed Qarun (Korah) and Pharaoh and Haman. Moses came to them with Clear Signs but they waxed arrogant in the land although they could not have outstripped[67] (Us).
67. That is, “They could not have gotten away and escaped Allah’s grasp: they had no power to frustrate and defeat Allah’s plans and schemes.”
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