سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 95
ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ ٱلسَّيِّئَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّىٰ عَفَوا۟ وَّقَالُوا۟ قَدْ مَسَّ ءَابَآءَنَا ٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَٱلسَّرَّآءُ فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿95﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then We changed the evil for the good, until they increased in number and in wealth, and said: "Our fathers were touched with evil (loss of health and calamities) and with good (prosperity)." So We seized them all of a sudden while they were unaware.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
بَدَّلْنَا
baddalnā
We changed
مَكَانَ
makāna
(in) place
ٱلسَّيِّئَةِ
l-sayi-ati
(of) the bad
ٱلْحَسَنَةَ
l-ḥasanata
the good
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
عَفَوا۟
ʿafaw
they increased
وَّقَالُوا۟
waqālū
and said
قَدْ
qad
Verily
مَسَّ
massa
(had) touched
ءَابَآءَنَا
ābāanā
our forefathers
ٱلضَّرَّآءُ
l-ḍarāu
the adversity
وَٱلسَّرَّآءُ
wal-sarāu
and the ease
فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم
fa-akhadhnāhum
So We seized them
بَغْتَةًۭ
baghtatan
suddenly
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they
لَا
lā
(did) not
يَشْعُرُونَ
yashʿurūna
perceive
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 95) ➊ {ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ … : ’’ عَفَوْا ‘‘ } This is the past tense, third person masculine plural from {’’عَفَا يَعْفُوْ‘‘}, meaning "they increased." The meaning of the form "af‘ala" is "to increase," as He said: [ أَعْفُوا اللِّحَی ] [ بخاری، اللباس، باب إعفاء اللحی : ۵۸۹۳] "Let the beards grow." But when they did not do so, We replaced their adversity with prosperity and gave them a chance to turn back, granting them abundance instead of famine and health instead of illness. Their population increased greatly and wealth flowed abundantly, but instead of being grateful for these blessings and believing in the Messenger of their Lord, they forgot the previous hardship and did not value these blessings either. They said, "If we were afflicted by famine and other calamities, it was merely due to the turns of time, not because of our own misdeeds. This is how the world works; circumstances change with the seasons—sometimes illness, sometimes health, sometimes prosperity, sometimes adversity, etc. These situations did not only happen to us but also to our forefathers, but they soon passed as well. Human actions have nothing to do with such occurrences." Nowadays, some Muslims also make such explanations.
➋ {فَاَخَذْنٰهُمْ بَغْتَةً وَّ هُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ:} That is, when they forgot Allah in this way, suddenly Allah's wrath descended and such a punishment came that in an instant all were annihilated. After these nations, the mention of Pharaoh and Musa (peace be upon him) is coming; Pharaoh's people were seized by hardship and distress multiple times, such as the flood, locusts, and lice, etc., but when they did not change their attitude, a sudden punishment came like the previous nations and they were drowned in the sea. In contrast, believers are grateful in prosperity and patient in adversity, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The affair of the believer is amazing, for all his affairs are good, and this is for no one except the believer. If happiness comes to him, he is grateful and that is better for him, and if hardship befalls him, he is patient and that is better for him." [ مسلم، الزھد، باب المؤمن أمرہ کلہ خیر: ۲۹۹۹ ] In the explanation of this verse, Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "When a servant is punished for sin in this world, there is hope that he will repent, but when the sin is met with favor (in accordance), this is a delusion from Allah, then there is fear of destruction, like if someone eats poison and vomits it out, there is hope, but if it is digested, then the end is near." (Mawduh)
➋ {فَاَخَذْنٰهُمْ بَغْتَةً وَّ هُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُوْنَ:} That is, when they forgot Allah in this way, suddenly Allah's wrath descended and such a punishment came that in an instant all were annihilated. After these nations, the mention of Pharaoh and Musa (peace be upon him) is coming; Pharaoh's people were seized by hardship and distress multiple times, such as the flood, locusts, and lice, etc., but when they did not change their attitude, a sudden punishment came like the previous nations and they were drowned in the sea. In contrast, believers are grateful in prosperity and patient in adversity, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The affair of the believer is amazing, for all his affairs are good, and this is for no one except the believer. If happiness comes to him, he is grateful and that is better for him, and if hardship befalls him, he is patient and that is better for him." [ مسلم، الزھد، باب المؤمن أمرہ کلہ خیر: ۲۹۹۹ ] In the explanation of this verse, Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "When a servant is punished for sin in this world, there is hope that he will repent, but when the sin is met with favor (in accordance), this is a delusion from Allah, then there is fear of destruction, like if someone eats poison and vomits it out, there is hope, but if it is digested, then the end is near." (Mawduh)
