Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 133

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So We sent upon them the storm and locusts and lice and frogs and blood, as signs distinct from each other. Yet they showed arrogance, and they were a guilty people.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

So We plagued them with floods, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood—all as clear signs, but they persisted in arrogance and were a wicked people.

Ruwwad Translation Center

So We sent upon them flood, locusts, lice, frogs and blood – as clear signs, yet they persisted in arrogance and were a wicked people.

A. J. Arberry

So We let loose upon them the flood and the locusts, the lice and the frogs, the blood, distinct signs; but they waxed proud and were a sinful people.

Abdul Haleem

and so We let loose on them the flood, locusts, lice, frogs, blood- all clear signs. They were arrogant, wicked people.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Thereafter We sent upon them the flood, and the locusts, and the lice, and the frogs, and the blood: signs detailed; yet they remained stiff-necked and they, were a people sinful.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So We sent (plagues) on them; Wholesale death, Locusts, Lice, Frogs, And Blood; Signs openly self-explained; but they were steeped in arrogance,- a people given to sin.

Abul Ala Maududi

Then We afflicted them with a great flood and locusts, and the lice, and the frogs, and the blood. All these were distinct signs and yet they remained haughty. They were a wicked people.

Ahmed Ali

So We let loose on them floods and locusts, and vermin, frogs and blood -- how many different signs. But they still remained arrogant, for they were a people full of sin.

Ahmed Raza Khan

We therefore sent against them the flood and the locusts and the vermin (or insects) and the frogs and the blood – separate signs; in response they were proud and were a guilty people.

Ali Quli Qarai

So We sent against them a flood and locusts, lice, frogs and blood, as distinct signs. But they acted arrogantly, and they were a guilty lot.

Ali Ünal

So, (in order that they might reflect and be mindful) We sent upon them floods and (plagues of) locusts and vermin, and frogs, and (water turning into) blood: distinct signs one after another. Yet they remained arrogant, and they were a criminal people committed to accumulating sins.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Then We sent upon them widespread death and destruction (caused by storms, epidemics,) and the locusts, the lice, the frogs and the blood (-wars); signs (all) distinct and well defined, but they continued to behave arrogantly for they were a people who had cut off their ties (with God).

English Literal

So We sent on them the deadly/great flood/excess , and the grasshoppers/locusts and the lice, and the frogs and the blood, explained/clarified evidences/signs for them, so they became arrogant, and they were a nation (of) criminals/sinners .

Faridul Haque

We therefore sent against them the flood and the locusts and the vermin (or insects) and the frogs and the blood - separate signs; in response they were proud and were a guilty people.

Hamid S. Aziz

So We sent upon them the flood and the locusts and the vermin and the frogs and the blood, - a succession of clear Signs. But they were inflated with arrogance, a guilty people.

Hilali & Khan

So We sent on them: the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, and the blood: (as a succession of) manifest signs, yet they remained arrogant, and they were of those people who were Mujrimun (criminals, polytheists, sinners, etc.).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And they said: Whatever sign thou mayest bring to us to charm us therewith -- we shall not believe in thee.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Therefore We sent upon them widespread death, and the locusts and the lice and the frog and the blood, clear signs; but they behaved haughtily and they were a guilty people.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

So We sent against them the flood and the locusts and the vermin and the frogs and the blood - a succession of clear signs. But they were arrogant and became a guilty folk.

Muhammad Sarwar

We sent upon them widespread calamities: floods of locusts, lice, frogs, and blood. All were distinct miracles but these criminals all the time remained proud.

Qaribullah & Darwish

So We sent upon them floods, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood. (All these were) clear signs, yet they were proud against them, for they were wicked people.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

So We sent on them: the Tuwfan, the locusts, the Qummal, the frogs, and the blood (as a succession of) manifest signs, yet they remained arrogant, and they were of those people who were criminals.

Wahiduddin Khan

Then We afflicted them with storms, and locusts, and lice, and frogs, and blood: so many clear signs. But they were steeped in arrogance, for they were a people given to sin.

Talal Itani

So We let loose upon them the flood, and the locusts, and the lice, and the frogs, and blood—all explicit signs—but they were too arrogant. They were a sinful people.

Tafsir jalalayn

So We unleashed upon them the flood, of water, which penetrated their houses and which for seven days would come up to people's necks as they sat; and the locusts, which consumed their crops and fruits, likewise [engulfing them for seven days]; and the lice (al-qummal is like al-ss, `woodworm', or al-qurd, `ticks'), which would follow [and consume] what the locusts left behind; and the frogs, such that they infested their houses and food supplies; and the blood, [flowing] in their water, distinct, clear, signs; but they were too scornful, to believe in them, and were a sinful folk.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah said,

فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الطُّوفَانَ وَالْجَرَادَ وَالْقُمَّلَ وَالضَّفَادِعَ وَالدَّمَ ايَاتٍ مُّفَصَّلَتٍ

فَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ وَكَانُواْ قَوْمًا مُّجْرِمِينَ



So We sent on them;the Tuwfan, the locusts, the Qummal, the frogs, and the blood (as a succession of) manifest signs, yet they remained arrogant, and they were of those people who were criminals.

فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الطُّوفَانَ
(So We sent on them the Tufan), Ibn Abbas commented;

"It was a heavy rain that ruined the produce and fruits."

He is also reported to have said that;
Tuwfan refers to mass death.

Mujahid said,

it is water that carries the plague every where. As for the locust, it is the well-known insect, which is permissible to eat.

It is recorded in the Two Sahihs, that Abu Yafur said that he asked Abdullah bin Abi Awfa about locust. He said,

"We participated in seven battles with the Messenger of Allah , and we used to eat locusts."

Ash-Shafi`i, Ahmad bin Hanbal and Ibn Majah recorded from `]Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam that his father narrated from Ibn `]Umar that the Prophet said,

أُحِلَّتْ لَنَا مَيْتَتَانِ وَدَمَانِ

الْحُوتُ وَالْجَرَادُ

وَالْكَبِدُ وَالطِّحَال

We were allowed two dead animals and two (kinds of) blood;

fish and locust, and

kidney and spleen

Ibn Abi Najih narrated from Mujahid about Allah's statement,
فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الطُّوفَانَ وَالْجَرَادَ
(So We sent on them;the flood, the locusts),

"Eating the nails on their doors and leaving the wood."

As for the Qummal,

Ibn Abbas said that it is the grain bug, or, according to another view; small locusts that do not have wings.

Similar was reported from Mujahid, Ikrimah and Qatadah.

Al-Hasan and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that;

`Qummal' are small black insects.

Abu Jafar bin Jarir recorded that Sa`id bin Jubayr said,

"When Musa came to Fir`awn, he demanded, `Release the Children of Israel to me.' But, Fir`awn did not comply; and Allah sent the Tuwfan, and that is a rain which continued until they feared that it was a form of torment.

They said to Musa, `Invoke your Lord to release us from this rain, and we will believe in you and send the Children of Israel with you.'

Musa invoked his Lord and He removed the affliction from them. However, they did not believe, nor did they send the Children of Israel with him.

In that year, Allah allowed (the earth) to grow various types of produce, fruits and grass for them as never before. They said, `This is what we hoped for.' So Allah sent the locusts, and the locusts started to feed on the grass. When they saw the effect the locusts had on the grass, they knew that no vegetation would be saved from devastation. They said, `O Musa! Invoke your Lord so that He will remove the locusts from us, and we will believe in you and release the Children of Israel to you.'

Musa invoked his Lord, and He removed the locusts. Still, they did not believe and did not send the Children of Israel with him.

They collected grains and kept them in their homes. They said, `We saved our crops.' However, Allah sent the Qummal, grain bugs, and one of them would take ten bags of grains to the mill, but only reap three small bags of grain.

They said, `O Musa! Ask your Lord to remove the Qummal (weevil) from us and we will believe in you and send the Children of Israel with you.'

Musa invoked his Lord, and Allah removed the Qummal from them. However, they did not send the Children of Israel with him.

Once, when he was with Fir`awn, Musa heard the sound of a frog and said to Fir`awn, `What will you and your people suffer from this (the frogs)!'

Fir`awn said, `What can frogs do!'

Yet, by the time that night arrived a person would be sitting in a crowd of frogs that reached up to his chin and could not open his mouth to speak without a frog jumping in it. They said to Musa, `Invoke your Lord to remove these frogs from us, and we will believe in you and send the Children of Israel with you.'

Musa invoked his Lord, but they did not believe.

Allah then sent blood that filled the rivers, wells and the water containers they had. They complained to Fir`awn, saying, `We are inflicted with blood and do not have anything to drink.' He said, `Musa has bewitched you.'

They said, `How could he do that when whenever we look for water in our containers we found that it has turned into blood!'

They came to Musa and said, `Invoke your Lord to save us from this blood, and we will believe in you and send the Children of Israel with you.'

Musa invoked his Lord and the blood stopped, but they did not believe nor send the Children of Israel with him."

A similar account was attributed to Ibn Abbas, As-Suddi, Qatadah and several others among the Salaf.

Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar said,

"The enemy of Allah, Fir`awn, went back defeated and humiliated, after the sorcerers believed (in Musa). He insisted on remaining in disbelief and persisted in wickedness. Allah sent down the signs to him, and he (and his people) were first inflicted by famine. Allah then sent the flood, the locusts, the Qummal, the frogs then blood, as consecutive signs. When Allah sent the flood, it filled the surface of the earth with water. But the water level receded, and they could not make use of it to till the land or do anything else