The detailed story of Qarun is mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah al-Qasas, verses 76-82. His name is mentioned only twice more, but as part of larger contexts in Surah al-‘Ankabut, verse 39, and Surah Ghafir, verse 24.

Qarun was from the people of Prophet Musa (Moses). He was extremely rich but also evil, behaving arrogantly towards his people and oppressing them (al-Qasas 76). His character was a mix of haughtiness, greed, self-centeredness, wickedness, and hypocrisy. 

Qarun’s life story is seen as the foundation and even the preliminary stage in the evolution of what later became known as the socio-economic order of capitalism. Additionally, his behavior reflected all the harmful traits of that order, which inexorably leads to the destruction of many individuals and societies alike.

Indeed, his story is a microcosm of the story of capitalism. The following points explain why and how.

First: bad ends justify worse means

Qarun’s transgressions manifested themselves first in Egypt before the exodus under Pharaoh’s rule, and secondly after the exodus in the wilderness, prior to the Israelites’ entry into the Holy Land.

Qarun was an assertive and overambitious person, likely motivated by the immense wealth controlled and enjoyed by Egypt's elites. By hook or by crook, he wanted to join this exclusive club. 

However, there was a problem: he was an Israelite, which made the prospect of climbing the corporate ladder all the more difficult, almost impossible. Regardless, there was something he could offer Pharaoh and his government: a willingness to betray his people, become Pharaoh’s puppet, and serve as his mouthpiece and executor.

Thus, when the Qur’an says that Qarun was his people’s tyrant, it means that he was merely an extension of Pharaoh's tyranny. He was no more than an obedient servant.

In return, Qarun was given access to everything he ever wanted: wealth, fame, and power. His alliance with Pharaoh was clearly one of convenience. They most probably disliked each other, but there was so much at stake for both parties that they easily found and carefully cultivated a common ground for cooperation.

It was a win-win situation. The only losers were the Israelites. For this reason, the Qur’an, when referring to the evil figures that exemplified the infamous reputation of Egypt, groups together Qarun, Pharaoh, and Haman (Pharaoh’s prime minister or minister of construction) as those who acted conceitedly on earth and were primarily responsible for plotting against and rejecting Prophet Musa (al-‘Ankabut 39; Ghafir 24.).

In addition to power and fame, Qarun also became extremely rich. Considering his position, the enormous amount of wealth indicates that he was very good at his job. He was so merciless and effective in his executive work targeting Musa and the Israelites that Pharaoh did not hesitate to open all avenues for him to amass as much wealth as possible, or as much as his insatiable greed desired.

It cannot be denied that he may have had additional means that helped him become rich, such as extraordinary knowledge, talents, skills, and even inheritance. In any case, his wealth was astonishing: treasures whose keys would burden a band of strong men (al-Qasas 76).

Following the exodus, Qarun, who also joined his people, became his own master. Nevertheless, he became so obsessed with accumulating wealth for its own sake, viewing it as an end in itself, that he became a worshipper of it. In the socio-political and economic vacuum of the wilderness, Qarun attempted to impose his worldview on the people as an alternative to what Musa was preaching. He sought to replace the worship of God with the worship of riches.

For Qarun, his wealth and the influence that usually accompanies it were comparable to Musa’s knowledge and wisdom, which came from prophethood and the holy revelation of the Tawrah (Torah). By any possible means, Qarun wanted to remain relevant and sustain his status and role. He fought tooth and nail not to be eclipsed by Musa and the power of his mission. To this end, he employed strategies of oppression, dishonesty, hypocrisy, fabrication, and bribery.

Without a doubt, the uncertainty and chaotic situation of the Israelites in the wilderness, when they were neither in Egypt nor in the Holy Land, proved to be a fertile ground for such behavior. A considerable level of political anarchy fostered social disorder and religious confusion, inviting people like Qarun to spread their nets and operate.

Seeing Musa as his biggest rival, Qarun is said to have targeted him the most. While he never stopped inflaming dissent among the Israelites, inducing various opponents of Musa’s ways to join him, Qarun at one point even bribed a prostitute to accuse Musa of having an affair with her.

So blinded was he by his greed and self-absorption that there was no place for integrity, honor, self-respect, trustworthiness, and accountability in his vocabulary. Those were anomalies.

Second: a delusion of grandeur

As is often the case with the ultra-wealthy, who obtained or maintained their extravagant wealth through questionable or outright illegitimate means, they are not on the same wavelength as their people, who may be their subjects, employees, clients, or simply fellow citizens. They exist in two different realms: one builds castles in the air on the shaky foundations of vanity, while the other grapples with the challenging reality and struggles to make a living.

Whereas the rich normally become richer – as they desire and plan – they also become more engrossed in their wrongdoings, increasingly alienating themselves not just from their communities but also from themselves. The intensity of these processes blinds them to the point that they eventually stop recognizing the most fundamental aspects needed for living reasonably and appreciating life.

Thus incapacitated, they believe they are at the top of their game; however, little do they know that they are trapped in quicksand, sinking deeper and suffering from diseases known exclusively to them. From such a position, their sick ambitions of ultimate happiness, power, and dominance begin to appear like shifting dunes before ultimately becoming nothing but mirages.

Locked in their own worlds defined by artificial standards, the rich are deprived of virtue, wisdom, and the true meaning and beauty of life. If only they could open a window and let in those they consider of lesser significance—many of their own people, who are properly guided and shaped by their constant encounters with the actualities of life—to share a word of inspiration and help. However, their biased views on life and truth will never permit this.

Even if they did, such advice would likely go unheeded.

In the context of Qarun, he is warned by his people, who seem to be much wiser, smarter, and more refined than he is, not to exult, for indeed, Allah does not like the exultant (al-Qasas 76).

They also told him: “But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and (yet), do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters” (al-Qasas 77).

These pieces of advice show that the people understood better than Qarun and possessed the most important existential asset, which he did not: a partnership of wisdom and faith. The clarity of their thoughts, in contrast to Qarun’s foolishness and myopia, is unmistakable, suggesting that it was the scholars who either instigated and orchestrated the response or were themselves responsible for it while guiding the masses.

From the above words, it can be concluded that everything Qarun was supposed to know about existence and how it ought to be lived, he did not know, and everything he was supposed to do, he did not do. His was a life of a miserable wretch whose irrational devotion to money and, in general, to the material facets of life signified just another, albeit more complex, form of idolatry.

And surely, today’s capitalism – as the peak of a socio-economic trajectory that began with Qarun and those of his ilk – is increasingly revealed to be the most advanced form of idol worship. It is enveloped in and driven by the vices of materialism, consumerism, and the pursuit of pleasure. Its pantheon of deities is a complicated and layered blend of the idols of the mind, soul, and body. From worshipping stone, wood, and exotic objects, man has evolved to worship money and himself.

As such, the liberal capitalism of modern times, as it is progressively getting out of control, is becoming the world’s most devastating force, slowly but steadily destroying the humanness of man, the naturalness of the natural world, and the vivacity and excitement of the whole phenomenon of life. It plucks out and buries the soul of every living being.

Third: all show, no substance

Life is to be lived according to the will of the Creator of life and everything in it, rather than according to the will of any of His creations, including man. Only then will life make sense and be enjoyable. Those who do not understand life cannot enjoy it or get the most from it.

Possessing a right perception of life, along with the right abilities and resources to live it, gives a person a sense of belonging, direction, and finally, self-fulfillment. These are the true treasures that everyone should pursue, as they lead to satisfaction and happiness.

The material possessions are no more than means, and their value should be measured purely against the backdrop of the former. When harmonized with them, material possessions will then become plausible, enriching a person and contributing to his true fortune.

The wealth and happiness of the soul is the holy grail of seeking and accumulating wealth. Material possessions, on their own and for their own sake, are meaningless and useless relative to the purpose of human creation and our mission on earth. 

That said, the lives of money-worshippers are proportionally meaningless and worthless. They know this better than anyone else, as they experience it firsthand. This is why they obsessively and excessively show off what they have, which also functions as a counterbalance to what they do not have but desperately wish to possess.

Hence, in relation to Qarun, his “wealth” legacy revolved around mere quantities represented by numbers and sizes. That is all he truly had: just numbers and measures of quantity. As far as his wealth was concerned, he did not own it; instead, it owned him. It provided him with nothing whenever he needed something genuinely meaningful, consequential, and enriching.

Qarun’s wealth gave him a false awareness of status, security, comfort, and bliss. Everything he thought or possessed was a construct of his own making. The reality was quite different. A clear indication of this disconnect between his thoughts and real life is Qarun’s belief that he deserved his status and wealth due to his knowledge (al-Qasas 78). However, both Allah and his people reminded him that what he had was neither his nor a sign of favor and distinction; it belonged to Allah, the Provider and Sustainer, and was a test as well as a trust from Allah.

Qarun failed to realize that wealth and poverty are intrinsically neither good nor bad, nor advantages nor disadvantages. It all depends on how a person responds to the challenges of poverty and wealth and how he manages sustenance, regardless of its size, as a trust from God. It is not wealth that defines a person, but rather how one uses wealth for nobler goals.

Having been bereft of substance, the solitary thing Qarun could display and brag about was a dead form transformed into pomp and the pride of worldly glitter (al-Qasas 79). His brilliance was in appearances, and his magnificence was merely skin-deep. The essence was lacking, rendering his personality and life like hollow pieces of wood gradually rotting after being propped up.

Fourth: brief enchantment 

The false allure of money-worship, exemplified by the dark sides of capitalism, can deceive the confused and vulnerable. Many have fallen into the set traps, with only a few managing to regain their senses and rescue themselves before becoming fully consumed and losing their spiritual prospects. There are others who realize this and try to change, but it often proves to be a mission that is too little, too late.

When push comes to shove and it is all over, most people tend to agree that what materialistic lifestyles offer is little compared to what they take away. Their genuine goodness is temporary, but the scars they leave are lasting and painful. Their enchantment is so brief and unreal that it cannot inscribe fairytales or act as material for building utopias.

Simply put, materialism is not a reliable companion on the paths of self-actualization and life discovery, which are essential for realizing one's true purpose in life. When needed the most, materialism leaves its devotees in the lurch. Only God knows how many innocent souls have drowned in its chasm while seeking contentment and ecstasy, which, in reality, turned into painful journeys of searching for the unattainable and achieving the impossible.

This truth became manifest when the people of Qarun reacted to his false standing and condition. Two groups emerged: first, those who had fallen under Qarun’s spell and desired worldly life, and second, those who had been granted true knowledge, which was the end result and served as a sign of their profound faith.

The former group lamented: “Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qarun. Indeed, he is one of great fortune" (al-Qasas 79). In contrast, the second group, viewing Qarun as an objectionable example, responded: “Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for he who believes and does righteousness. And none are granted it except the patient” (al-Qasas 80).

When the humiliating end of Qarun came to pass, none of those who wished to be like Qarun stood firm. All were struck by the reality of truth and its workings. They suddenly began to think clearly, not only seeing reason and truth in their true light but also preaching them as the only path forward.

Wobbled, they remarked: “Oh, how Allah extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allah had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!" (al-Qasas 82).

The different reactions of various groups to Qarun's extravagant display and the subsequent changes in their perspectives after his demise illustrate how challenging it is for a person to remain reasonable and uphold his humanity when constantly placed under the sway of the capitalism-materialism axis of evil. If conditions are not right, it is nearly impossible to break free from their stifling constraints and live and think freely. Many do not have the essential qualities needed for success, so they end up living a life of sheer survival and suffering.

Fifth: the appropriate end

In the end, Qarun was punished in a way that his story, signifying an unfortunate but profoundly thought-provoking legacy, will remain a sign for the enlightened and a lesson for the curious. He and his dwelling place were swallowed by the earth. Neither he, with his wealth and power, nor anyone from his circle of associates and assistants could offer him any help or support.

Allah says: “And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor was he of those who (could) defend themselves” (al-Qasas 81).

In this fashion, Qarun sank humiliated as low as he had arrogantly wanted to rise. The earth was used as the instrument of his punishment because he mistreated it by committing all sorts of personal and institutional mischief. The two were simply incompatible. So evil were Qarun and his legacy that nothing of it deserved to be preserved on the face of the earth.

It is certainly no coincidence that the capitalistic exploitation of both natural and human resources, accompanied by the materialistic devouring of them, is always linked to the subject of the earth's providence. By way of illustration, Qarun was swallowed by the earth due to his mischief on it, and Pharaoh too, who exalted himself on the land and misbehaved uncontrollably (al-Qasas 4), was drowned in water as one of the earth’s most notable dimensions.

It thus stands to reason that any similar disobedience patterns are destined to experience a similar fate. Today, when humanity seems to have perfected the wrong hedonistic and consumerist ways of Qarun—and also Pharaoh, his mentor—in the name of liberal capitalism, it is little wonder that the planet earth, with its fragile ecosystems, is suffering the most.

Nor is it a surprise that the destruction of the earth's ability to sustain itself and other living beings is increasingly seen as a precursor to an apocalypse, where everything humanity has built over ages could be annihilated and go up in smoke. Since the earth has long been subjected to abusive tendencies by humans, it will not be shocking if it eventually retaliates and becomes the means of the crushing doom of the human race.

The stories of Qarun and Pharaoh, therefore, should be taken more seriously by all.