سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 96
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَـٰكِن كَذَّبُوا۟ فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿96﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwâ (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
أَنَّ
anna
[that]
أَهْلَ
ahla
people
ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ
l-qurā
(of) the cities
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
(had) believed
وَٱتَّقَوْا۟
wa-ittaqaw
and feared Allah
لَفَتَحْنَا
lafataḥnā
surely We (would have) opened
عَلَيْهِم
ʿalayhim
upon them
بَرَكَـٰتٍۢ
barakātin
blessings
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
the heaven
وَٱلْأَرْضِ
wal-arḍi
and the earth
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
كَذَّبُوا۟
kadhabū
they denied
فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم
fa-akhadhnāhum
So We seized them
بِمَا
bimā
for what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they used to
يَكْسِبُونَ
yaksibūna
earn
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 96) ➊ {وَ لَوْ اَنَّ اَهْلَ الْقُرٰۤى اٰمَنُوْا وَ اتَّقَوْا … :} If indeed the people of the towns had believed and observed the limits set by Allah, then as a result of this faith and piety, they would have received those rewards in the form of blessings...! And the consequence of not adopting faith and piety is the punishment of Allah, that they are deprived of blessings and afflicted with punishment.
➋ {لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكٰتٍ: ’’ بَرَكٰتٍ ‘‘ ’’ بَرَكَةٌ ‘‘} "Barakāt" is the plural of "barakah", meaning the presence of goodness in something from Allah. Originally, {’’ بِرْكَةٌ ‘‘} refers to a reservoir, just as water gathers in a reservoir, similarly, the presence of abundant goodness in something is called {’’ بَرَكَةٌ ‘‘}. Raghib said: "Since the goodness from Allah comes in such a way that neither its arrival is felt nor can it be counted, therefore, if unnoticed improvement is observed in a person or thing, it is said that it is blessed and there is barakah in it." (Tantawi)
"Would have opened the blessings"—this is a metaphor, that just as a door is opened, in the same way, blessings would have descended upon them, i.e., in the form of rain and mercies from the sky, and from the earth in the form of water, agricultural produce (grains and fruits), and countless bounties that come out from the earth, such as petrol, gas, gold, silver, and jewels, etc.
➋ {لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكٰتٍ: ’’ بَرَكٰتٍ ‘‘ ’’ بَرَكَةٌ ‘‘} "Barakāt" is the plural of "barakah", meaning the presence of goodness in something from Allah. Originally, {’’ بِرْكَةٌ ‘‘} refers to a reservoir, just as water gathers in a reservoir, similarly, the presence of abundant goodness in something is called {’’ بَرَكَةٌ ‘‘}. Raghib said: "Since the goodness from Allah comes in such a way that neither its arrival is felt nor can it be counted, therefore, if unnoticed improvement is observed in a person or thing, it is said that it is blessed and there is barakah in it." (Tantawi)
"Would have opened the blessings"—this is a metaphor, that just as a door is opened, in the same way, blessings would have descended upon them, i.e., in the form of rain and mercies from the sky, and from the earth in the form of water, agricultural produce (grains and fruits), and countless bounties that come out from the earth, such as petrol, gas, gold, silver, and jewels, etc.
