سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 131
فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا۟ لَنَا هَـٰذِهِۦ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُوا۟ بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥٓ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّمَا طَـٰٓئِرُهُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿131﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
But whenever good came to them, they said: "Ours is this." And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Mûsâ (Moses) and those with him. Be informed! Verily, their evil omens are with Allâh but most of them know not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَإِذَا
fa-idhā
But when
جَآءَتْهُمُ
jāathumu
came to them
ٱلْحَسَنَةُ
l-ḥasanatu
the good
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they said
لَنَا
lanā
For us
هَـٰذِهِۦ ۖ
hādhihi
(is) this
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تُصِبْهُمْ
tuṣib'hum
afflicts them
سَيِّئَةٌۭ
sayyi-atun
bad
يَطَّيَّرُوا۟
yaṭṭayyarū
they ascribe evil omens
بِمُوسَىٰ
bimūsā
to Musa
وَمَن
waman
and who
مَّعَهُۥٓ ۗ
maʿahu
(were) with him
أَلَآ
alā
Behold
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
طَـٰٓئِرُهُمْ
ṭāiruhum
their evil omens
عِندَ
ʿinda
(are) with
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
وَلَـٰكِنَّ
walākinna
but
أَكْثَرَهُمْ
aktharahum
most of them
لَا
lā
(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
know
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 131) ➊ { فَاِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ … :} As mentioned in verses (94, 95), every nation was tested not only with hardship and difficulty but also with prosperity and ease. Accordingly, when after hardship and affliction, comfort and prosperity would come to the people of Pharaoh, instead of considering it a favor from Allah and being grateful, they would say {’’ لَنَا هٰذِهٖ ‘‘}, meaning this is the result of our good management and our right.
➋ {وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَّطَّيَّرُوْا بِمُوْسٰى … : ’’ يَطَّيَّرُوْا ‘‘ ’’تَطَيَّرَ يَتَطَيَّرُ‘‘} is from the form tafa‘‘ul whose root is { ’’ طَيْرٌ ‘‘} (bird). Originally it was { ’’يَتَطَيَّرُوْا ‘‘ }, the tā’ was assimilated into the ṭā’. The practice of the polytheists was that to take an omen, they would make a bird fly; if it flew to the right, they considered it a good omen and a source of blessing, and if it flew to the left, they considered it a bad omen and a source of misfortune. Here, according to all commentators, the meaning of {’’ تَطَيَّرَ‘‘} is bad omen and misfortune, that is, they considered the cause of their misfortunes to be the misfortune of Musa (peace be upon him) and his companions.
➌ {اَلَاۤ اِنَّمَا طٰٓىِٕرُهُمْ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ … :} That is, the real cause of this misfortune is in the knowledge of Allah, and all good and evil that reaches them is entirely by the decree and destiny of Allah, which has been written for them because of their deeds. It is sheer ignorance to attribute good to one's own merit and evil to the misfortune of someone else. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "That is, the badness of fate is bad, so it is from Allah's decree; the effect of evil and good will be in the Hereafter. The answer here is not given that the misfortune was due to their disbelief, because disbelievers also live luxuriously in the world. The real truth (which) was, so it was said that the conditions of the world depend on destiny." (Mawdhih)
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bad omen is shirk, bad omen is shirk," he said it three times, "and each of us (sometimes has some suspicion), but Allah removes it through the blessing of trust in Him." [ أبوداؤد، الطب، باب فی الطیرۃ : ۳۹۱۰۔ ترمذی : ۱۶۱۴ ]
➋ {وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَّطَّيَّرُوْا بِمُوْسٰى … : ’’ يَطَّيَّرُوْا ‘‘ ’’تَطَيَّرَ يَتَطَيَّرُ‘‘} is from the form tafa‘‘ul whose root is { ’’ طَيْرٌ ‘‘} (bird). Originally it was { ’’يَتَطَيَّرُوْا ‘‘ }, the tā’ was assimilated into the ṭā’. The practice of the polytheists was that to take an omen, they would make a bird fly; if it flew to the right, they considered it a good omen and a source of blessing, and if it flew to the left, they considered it a bad omen and a source of misfortune. Here, according to all commentators, the meaning of {’’ تَطَيَّرَ‘‘} is bad omen and misfortune, that is, they considered the cause of their misfortunes to be the misfortune of Musa (peace be upon him) and his companions.
➌ {اَلَاۤ اِنَّمَا طٰٓىِٕرُهُمْ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ … :} That is, the real cause of this misfortune is in the knowledge of Allah, and all good and evil that reaches them is entirely by the decree and destiny of Allah, which has been written for them because of their deeds. It is sheer ignorance to attribute good to one's own merit and evil to the misfortune of someone else. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "That is, the badness of fate is bad, so it is from Allah's decree; the effect of evil and good will be in the Hereafter. The answer here is not given that the misfortune was due to their disbelief, because disbelievers also live luxuriously in the world. The real truth (which) was, so it was said that the conditions of the world depend on destiny." (Mawdhih)
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bad omen is shirk, bad omen is shirk," he said it three times, "and each of us (sometimes has some suspicion), but Allah removes it through the blessing of trust in Him." [ أبوداؤد، الطب، باب فی الطیرۃ : ۳۹۱۰۔ ترمذی : ۱۶۱۴ ]
