[Qarun] said, "I was only given it"—meaning what he was granted of the world—"because of knowledge I have," meaning: through my own strength and knowledge.
Muhammad (Ibn Abi Zamanin) said: It is said that he was the most well-versed of the Children of Israel in the Torah, and for that reason, he claimed that the wealth was given to him because of his knowledge. Allah said: "But it is a trial," meaning a test. "Did he not know"—meaning Qarun—"that Allah had destroyed before him of generations those who were greater than him in power and mightier in accumulation," of soldiers and men? Meaning: Yes, he surely knew. "But the criminals"—the polytheists—"will not be asked about their sins," so that their sins might be known from them.
﴿قَالَ﴾ قَارون ﴿إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتهُ﴾ يَعْنِي: مَا أُعْطِيَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ﴿على علم عِنْدِي﴾ أَيْ: بِقُوَّتِي وَعِلْمِي.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: قِيلَ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ [أَقْرَأُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لِلتَّوْرَاةِ] وَلِذَلِكَ ادَّعَى أَنَّ الْمَالَ أُعْطِيَهُ لِعِلْمِهِ. قَالَ اللَّهُ: بل هِيَ فتْنَة: بلية. ﴿أَو لم يعلم﴾ يَعْنِي: قَارُونَ ﴿أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةً وَأكْثر جمعا﴾ مِنَ الْجُنُودِ وَالرِّجَالِ؛ أَيْ: بَلَى قَدْ عَلِمَ ﴿وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذنوبهم المجرمون﴾ الْمُشْرِكُونَ لِتُعْلَمَ ذُنُوبُهُمْ مِنْ عِنْدِهِمْ
