قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُوا۟ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ 18
Translations
They said, "Indeed, we consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and there will surely touch you, from us, a painful punishment."
Transliteration
Qāloo innā taṭayyarnā bikum lain lam tantaghoo larjumannakum wa-layamassannakum minnā 'adhābun alīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
The people of the town (in the story of the messengers) rejected the three messengers and said they considered them bad omens (taṭayyur), threatening to stone them and inflict painful punishment if they did not cease their preaching. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that taṭayyur refers to the pre-Islamic practice of considering certain signs as omens of misfortune, which the disbelievers falsely attributed to the messengers' arrival. This verse illustrates the stubborn rejection and hostility faced by those who call to Allah's message.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of the three messengers sent to the town of Antioch (mentioned in classical tafsir), found within Surah Ya-Sin which is a Meccan surah. The broader context describes the messengers' warning to the people and the people's violent rejection, serving as a historical lesson to the Meccan disbelievers about the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly addresses this specific verse, Surah Ya-Sin itself is mentioned in authentic hadith as having special virtues. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur'an is Ya-Sin' (Tirmidhi). The surah's narrative themes align with hadiths about patience in da'wah and the trials faced by messengers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that calling to Allah's path may be met with hostility and false accusations, yet the messengers remained steadfast in their message. For modern readers, it teaches that superstition and prejudice often blind people to truth, and that we should not be deterred by opposition when conveying Allah's message, while also being wise and prudent in our approach.