Al-Qur'an Surah An-Naml Verse 47

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They said, “We regard you and those with you as a sign of bad omen.” He said, “Your omen is with Allah, but you are a people put to a test.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They replied, “You and your followers are a bad omen for us.”[[ They were struck with famine, which they blamed on Ṣâliḥ and his followers.]] He responded, “Your omens are destined by Allah. In fact, you are ˹only˺ a people being tested.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

They said, “We consider you and those who are with you as a bad omen.” He said, “Your omen is from Allah, but you are a people who are being tested.”

A. J. Arberry

They said, 'We augur ill of thee and of those that are with thee.' He said, 'Your augury is with God; nay, but you are a people being proved.'

Abdul Haleem

They said, ‘We see you and your fol-lowers as an evil omen.’ He replied, ‘God will decide on any omen you may see: you people are being put to the test.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They said: we augur ill of thee and of those who are with thee. He said: your augury is with Allah. Aye! ye are a people being tested.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They said; "Ill omen do we augur from thee and those that are with thee". He said; "Your ill omen is with Allah; yea, ye are a people under trial."

Abul Ala Maududi

They said: "We augur ill of you and those who are with you." Salih replied: "Your augury is with Allah. The truth is that you are a people who are being tried."

Ahmed Ali

They said: "You betoken evil, and those with you." (Saleh) replied: "The evil you presage can only come from God. In reality you are a people under trial (for your own inauspiciousness)."

Ahmed Raza Khan

They said, “We consider you an evil omen, and your companions”; he said, “Your evil omen is with Allah – in fact you people have fallen into trial.”

Ali Quli Qarai

They said, ‘We take you and those who are with you for a bad omen.’ He said, ‘Your bad omens are from Allah. Indeed, you are a people being tested.’

Ali Ünal

They said: "We augur ill of you and those who are with you." (Salih) answered: "What you describe as augury is (something ordained) by God. But the truth is that you are a people who are being tried."

Amatul Rahman Omar

They said, `We have suffered due to you and your companions.´ (Sâlih) said, `Your deeds and true cause of your sufferings is with Allâh (Who is punishing you for your evil deeds). Nay, you are a people who are being tried (to distinguish the good of you from the bad).

English Literal

They said: "We had a bad omen with you (you are a bad omen to us), and with whom (is) with you." He said: "Your omen (fate/future is) at God, but you are a nation being tested/misguided ."

Faridul Haque

They said, “We consider you an evil omen, and your companions”; he said, “Your evil omen is with Allah - in fact you people have fallen into trial.”

Hamid S. Aziz

Said he, "O my people! Why do you hasten on evil rather than good? Why do you not ask forgiveness of Allah that you may obtain mercy."

Hilali & Khan

They said: "We augur ill omen from you and those with you." He said: "Your ill omen is with Allah; nay, but you are a people that are being tested."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And certainly We sent to Thamud their brother Salih saying: Serve Allah. Then lo! they became two parties, contending.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They said: We have met with ill luck on account of you and on account of those with you. He said: The cause of your evil fortune is with Allah; nay, you are a people who are tried.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They said: We augur evil of thee and those with thee. He said: Your evil augury is with Allah. Nay, but ye are folk that are being tested.

Muhammad Sarwar

They said, "We have an ill omen about you and your followers." Salih replied, God has made your ill fortune await you. You are a people on trial."

Qaribullah & Darwish

They said: 'We predict an evil omen from you and those who are with you' He replied: 'Your prediction is with Allah, you are a nation being tested'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

They said: "We augur an omen from you and those with you." He said: "Your omen is of Allah; nay, but you are a people that are being tested."

Wahiduddin Khan

They said, "We see you and your followers as an evil omen." He replied, "No, your evil omen is with God; the truth is that you are a people being put to the test."

Talal Itani

They said, “We consider you an ill omen, and those with you.” He said, “Your omen is with God. In fact, you are a people being tested.”

Tafsir jalalayn

They said, `We augur evil (ittayyarn is actually tatayyarn, but the t' has been assimilated with the t', and a conjunctive hamza added) of you and of those who are with you', namely, the believers -- when they [the tribe of Thamd] were deprived of rain and suffered hunger. He said, `Your evil augury is with God -- He has given it to you; nay, but you are a people being tried', being tested with good and evil [turns of fortune].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قَالُوا اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ

"Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy!"

They said;"We augur an omen from you and those with you."

This means;"We do not see any good in your face and the faces of those who are following you."

Since they were doomed, whenever anything bad happened to any of them they would say, "This is because of Salih and his companions."

Mujahid said,

"They regarded them as bad omens."

This is similar to what Allah said about the people of Fir`awn;

فَإِذَا جَأءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّيَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ

But whenever good came to them, they said;"Ours is this." And if evil afflicted them, they saw it as an omen about Musa and those with him. (7;131)

And Allah says;

وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّيَةٌ يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ

And if some good reaches them, they say, "This is from Allah," but if some evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you."

Say;"All things are from Allah." (4;78)

i.e., by virtue of His will and decree.

And Allah tells us about the dwellers of the town, when the Messengers came to them;

قَالُواْ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَيِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

قَالُواْ طَـيِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْ

They (people) said;"For us, we see an omen from you; if you cease not, we will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us."

They (Messengers) said;"Your omens are with yourselves! (36;18)

And these people (Thamud) said;

اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ قَالَ طَايِرُكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ

"We augur an omen from you and those with you."

He said;"Your omen is of Allah;

meaning, Allah will punish you for that.

بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ



nay, but you are a people that are being tested.

Qatadah said;

"You are being tested to see whether you will obey or disobey."

The apparent meaning of the phrase
تُفْتَنُونَ
(are being tested) is;

you will be left to get carried away in your state of misguidance