Surah Yaseen: Verse 18 - قالوا إنا تطيرنا بكم ۖ... - English

The word: تَطَيَّرْ‌ (tatayyur) in verse 18: قَالُوا إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْ‌نَا بِكُمْ (We take you as a bad omen for us.) means the seeing of an evil omen in someone or taking someone to be wretched. It is being said here that the people of this town did not listen to these blessed souls sent to them and chided them as being wretched or carriers of misfortune. It appears in some narrations that a famine had overtaken this town, because the people of the town had curtly turned down the good counsel of the messengers. That is why the people of the town called them wretched, or maybe they were hurt in some other way. So, as is the common habit of disbelievers, they would hasten to attribute any distress that afflicts them to prophets and the righteous who are nothing but their guides and benefactors. Hence, in this case too, they lost no time and attributed their own wretchedness to these blessed elders. This happens to be similar to what has been said in the Qur'an about the people of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) فَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا لَنَا هَـٰذِهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُ‌وا بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُ (So when something good come to them they said, "This is our right". And if they suffered from something evil, they ascribed it as an ill omen to Musa and those with him - 7:131). Similarly, the people of Sayyidna Salih (علیہ السلام) said to him: اطَّيَّرْ‌نَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ (They said, "we regard you and those with you as a sign of bad omen". - 27:47).

(For us, we see an evil omen from you;) meaning, `we do not see in your faces any sign of good for our lives.' Qatadah said, "They were saying, `if something bad befalls us, it will be because of you."' Mujahid said, "They were saying: People like you never enter a town, but its people are punished."

(if you cease not, we will surely stone you,) Qatadah said, "By throwing stones at you."

(and a painful torment will touch you from us.) means, a severe punishment. Their Messengers said to them:

(Your evil omens be with you!) meaning, `they are thrown back at you.' This is like the Ayah where Allah describes the people of Fir`awn:

(But whenever good came to them, they said: "Ours is this." And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Musa and those with him. Be informed! Verily, their evil omens are with Allah) (7:131). And the people of Salih said:

("We augur ill omen from you and those with you." He said: "Your ill omen is with Allah.") (27:47) And Allah said:

(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," so what is wrong with these people that they fail to understand any word) (4:78)

((Do you call it "evil omen") because you are admonished Nay, but you are a people mischievous.) means, `because of us, because we admonished you and told you to worship Allah Alone and with all sincerity, and in return you said what you said and threatened us. Nay, but you are a mischievous people.' Qatadah said, "This means, `Because we reminded you about Allah, you saw an evil omen in us. Nay, but you are a mischievous people'. "