Did Qarun believe in Allah? Did he cross the Red Sea? Is it true that he is Hz. Musa’s cousin (maternal uncle's son)? When and where was he destroyed?

Did Qarun believe in Allah? Did he cross the Red Sea? Is it true that he is Hz. Musa’s cousin (maternal uncle's son)? When and where was he destroyed?

Dear Brother / Sister,

- There is no verse or hadith stating that Qarun is Hz. Musa’s cousin.

According to the ideas of the scholars like Ibn Abbas, Ibrahim Nahai, Abdullah b. Harith b. Nawfal, Simak b. Harb, Qatada, Malik b. Dinar and Ibn Jurayj, Qarun is Hz. Musa’s cousin. (see Ibn Kathir, the interpretation of verses al-Qasas, 76-77; see also  Tabari, Qurtubi, Ibn Ashur, the interpretation of the relevant verses)

- According to Ibn Ishaq, Qarun is Hz Musa’s uncle. (Tabari, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir ibid)

- According to what Qatada and some other scholars narrate (we cannot determine whether what they narrate is sound or not), Qarun was a believer at first. There are narrations stating that he was called "al-Munawwir" because he read the Torah beautifully, that he crossed the Red Sea with Hz. Musa and that he became a munafiq (hypocrite) like Samiri afterwards. (see Mawardi, the interpretation of the relevant verse)

- According to Razi, what is understood from the clear expression of the Quran is as follows: Qarun is from the nation of Hz. Musa. This fact (that he was from the nation of Hz. Musa) shows that he was a believer at first. It is possible to understand from this expression that he was a relative of Hz. Musa. According to a narration from Ibn Abbas, Qarun is Hz. Musa’s maternal aunt's son. (Razi, the interpretation of the relevant verse) Razi also included the information and narrations in other tafsir books but he quoted them by saying, "it is said that", indicating that they were not sound. (Razi, ibid)

- According to a narration from Abu Umama al-Bahili, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Qarun was one of the seventy distinguished people who listened to Allah's word with Musa on Mount Sinai.” (Razi, ibid) However, we could not find this narration in hadith resources.

- Qarun was a believer but after crossing the Red Sea, he complained that he was not given a rank like Musa and his brother Harun; though he saw some miracles, he interpreted them as magic and left Children of Israel with some people who followed him. (Razi, ibid)

Ibn Ashur states that Qarun is mentioned as "Korah" in Numbers, 16 in the Bible and that while Children of Israel was about to conquer  "Iriha", he was swallowed by the earth. (Ibn Ashur, ibid)

It is understood from the same resource that three distinguished Jews called Qarun, Datan and Aviram rebelled against Hz. Musa; then, the earth was split and they were swallowed together with 250 people that followed them. (see the Bible, Numbers, 16/26-35)

- To sum up, there is no clear information in the Quran and sound hadiths whether Qarun was a believer at first or not. It is possible to understand from the following verses that he was a believer at first but he deviated afterwards and started to oppress the believers:“Qarun was doubtless, of the people of Moses; but he acted insolently towards them.” (al-Qasas, 28/76),“But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the Home of the Hereafter...” (al-Qasas:77)

- Various pieces of information show that he crossed the Red Sea together with Hz. Musa.

However, we could not find definite information about when and where he was destroyed.

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