Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 47

(Ayah 47) ➊ {قَالُوا اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ …:’’ اطَّيَّرْنَا ‘‘} is originally {’’تَطَيَّرْنَا‘‘}, (we took an evil omen) by making the tā’ silent and merging it into the ṭā’, and due to the first letter becoming silent, a hamzat al-waṣl was added at the beginning. Because of the merging, there is an emphasis in the meaning of taking an evil omen. Those who denied Sālih (peace be upon him) said that we have taken an evil omen with you and your companions, and we have found you to be unlucky, as calamities and misfortunes constantly befall us. We are certain that you and your companions are the cause of this. When various punishments came upon the people of Pharaoh, they also said the same thing: «{ فَاِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوْا لَنَا هٰذِهٖ وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَّطَّيَّرُوْا بِمُوْسٰى وَ مَنْ مَّعَهٗ }» [ الأعراف : ۱۳۱ ] “So when prosperity came to them, they said, ‘This is for us,’ and if any adversity befell them, they took an evil omen with Moses and those with him.” The people of the town mentioned in Surah Yā Sīn also said the same to their messengers: «{ اِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَىِٕنْ لَّمْ تَنْتَهُوْا لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَ لَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌ}» [ یٰسٓ : ۱۸ ] “Indeed, we consider you a bad omen; if you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and a painful punishment from us will surely touch you.” The disbelievers also used to say the same to our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): «{ وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَّقُوْلُوْا هٰذِهٖ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَّقُوْلُوْا هٰذِهٖ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ فَمَالِ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ الْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُوْنَ يَفْقَهُوْنَ حَدِيْثًا }» [ النساء : ۷۸ ] “And if any good befalls them, they say, ‘This is from Allah,’ and if any evil befalls them, they say, ‘This is from you.’ Say, ‘All is from Allah.’ So what is [the matter] with these people that they can hardly understand any statement?”
➋ {قَالَ طٰٓىِٕرُكُمْ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ:} For its explanation, see the commentary of Surah Al-A‘rāf (131).
➌ { بَلْ اَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُوْنَ:} That is, the cause of your misfortunes is not our being unlucky, but the real cause is that now your test has begun, whether you take a lesson from calamities and misfortunes and accept faith, or persist in disbelief.