"Indeed, Qarun was from the people of Moses"—he was his cousin, the son of his paternal uncle. "But he tyrannized them"—he was an official for Pharaoh, so he transgressed against them and oppressed them. "And We gave him of the treasures"—meaning: of wealth, that is, Qarun—"what the keys of which"—meaning: the keys to his treasuries, in the interpretation of some—"would burden a group"—meaning: would weigh down a group—"of strong men"—meaning: those of might; and they are, in this context, forty men.
Muhammad said: It is said: 'na'at bil-'usbah' (it weighed down the group)—meaning: it caused them to lean; and 'an'atil-'usbah' (the group exerted themselves...)
﴿إِنَّ قَارُونَ كَانَ مِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَى﴾ كَانَ ابْنَ عَمِّهِ؛ أَخِي أَبِيهِ ﴿فبغى عَلَيْهِم﴾ كَانَ عَامِلًا لِفِرْعَوْنَ، فَتَعَدَّى عَلَيْهِمْ وظلمهم ﴿وَآتَيْنَاهُ من الْكُنُوز﴾ أَيْ: مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ؛ يَعْنِي: قَارُونَ ﴿مَا إِن مفاتحه﴾ يَعْنِي: مَفَاتِحُ خَزَائِنِهِ؛ فِي تَفْسِيرِ بَعضهم ﴿لتنوء بالعصبة﴾ أَيْ: لَتُثْقِلُ الْعُصْبَةَ ﴿أُولِي الْقُوَّةِ﴾ يَعْنِي: الشِّدَةَ؛ وَهُمْ هَا هُنَا أَرْبَعُونَ رَجُلًا.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: يُقَالُ: نَأَتْ بِالْعُصْبَةِ؛ أَيْ: مَالَتْ بِهَا، وَأَنْأَتِ الْعُصْبَةُ؛
