Surah Al-A’raf >> Currently viewing Surah Al-A’raf Ayat 96 (7:96)

Surah Al-A’raf Ayat 96 in Arabic Text

وَلَوۡ أَنَّ أَهۡلَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰٓ ءَامَنُواْ وَٱتَّقَوۡاْ لَفَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم بَرَكَٰتٖ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُواْ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ
Wa law anna ahlal quraaa aamanoo wattaqaw lafatahnaa ‘alaihim barakaatim minas samaaa’i wal ardi wa laakin kazzaboo fa akhaznaahum bimaa kaanoo yaksiboon

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 96

Sahih International
And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning.”

Yusuf Ali
If the people of the towns had but believed and feared Allah, We should indeed have opened out to them (All kinds of) blessings from heaven and earth; but they rejected (the truth), and We brought them to book for their misdeeds.

Abul Ala Maududi
Had the people of those towns believed and been God-fearing, We would certainly have opened up to them blessings from the heavens and the earth; but they gave the lie [to their Prophets] and so We seized them for their deeds. so.

Muhsin Khan
And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (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, etc.).

Pickthall
And if the people of the townships had believed and kept from evil, surely We should have opened for them blessings from the sky and from the earth. But (unto every messenger) they gave the lie, and so We seized them on account of what they used to earn.

Dr. Ghali
And if the population of the towns had believed and been pious, We indeed would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they cried lies, (and) so We took them (away) for what they were earning.

Abdel Haleem
If the people of those towns had believed and been mindful of God, We would have showered them with blessings from the heavens and earth, but they rejected the truth and so We punished them for their misdeeds.

Muhammad Junagarhi
اور اگر ان بستیوں کے رہنے والے ایمان لے آتے اور پرہیزگاری اختیار کرتے تو ہم ان پر آسمان اور زمین کی برکتیں کھول دیتے لیکن انہوں نے تکذیب کی تو ہم نے ان کے اعمال کی وجہ سے ان کو پکڑ لیا

Quran 7 Verse 96 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Al-A’raf ayat 96, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(7:96) Had the people of those towns believed and been God-fearing, We would certainly have opened up to them blessings from the heavens and the earth; but they gave the lie [to their Prophets] and so We seized them for their deeds. so.


There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.

Ibn-Kathir

96. And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa, 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. 97. Did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment by night while they were asleep 98. Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing 99. Did they then feel secure against Allah’s plan None feels secure from Allah’s plan except the people who are the losers.


Blessings come with Faith, while Kufr brings Torment

Allah mentions here the little faith of the people of the towns to whom He sent Messengers. In another instance, Allah said,

﴿فَلَوْلاَ كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَانُهَا إِلاَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ ءَامَنُواْ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الخِزْىِ فِى الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ ﴾

(Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment) — Except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.) ﴿10:98﴾ This Ayah indicates that no city believed in its entirety, except the city of Prophet Yunus, for they all believed after they were stricken by punishment. Allah said (about Prophet Yunus),

﴿وَأَرْسَلْنَـهُ إِلَى مِاْئَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ – فَـَامَنُواْ فَمَتَّعْنَـهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ ﴾

(And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more. And they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while.) ﴿37:147-148﴾ Allah said in another Ayah,

﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ﴾

(And We did not send a warner to a township….) ﴿34:34﴾ Allah said here,

﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى ءَامَنُواْ وَاتَّقَوْاْ﴾

(And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa. ..) meaning their hearts had faith in what the Messenger brought them, believed and obeyed him, and had Taqwa by performing the acts of obedience and abstaining from the prohibitions,

﴿لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَـتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ﴾

(We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth,) in reference to the rain that falls from the sky and the vegetation of the earth. Allah said,

﴿وَلَـكِن كَذَّبُواْ فَأَخَذْنَـهُمْ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ﴾

(but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn.) They denied their Messengers, so that We punished them and sent destruction on them as a result of the sins and wickedness that they earned. Allah then said, while warning and threatening against defying His orders and daring to commit His prohibitions,

﴿أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى﴾

(Did the people of the towns then feel secure),meaning the disbelievers among them,

﴿أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا﴾

(that should come to them our punishment), Our torment and punishing example,

﴿بَيَـتًا﴾

(Bayatan) during the night,

﴿أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَـتاً وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ – أَوَ أَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ﴾

(while they were asleep Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing) while they are busy in their affairs and unaware.

﴿أَفَأَمِنُواْ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ﴾

(Did they then feel secure against Allah’s plan) His torment, vengeance, and His power to destroy them while they are inattentive and heedless,

﴿فَلاَ يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ﴾

(None feels secure from Allah’s plan except the people who are the losers.) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, “The believer performs the acts of worship, all the while feeling fear, in fright and anxiety. The Fajir (wicked sinner, or disbeliever) commits the acts of disobedience while feeling safe (from Allah’s torment)!”

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surah al-a'raf ayat 96
surah al-a'raf ayat 97
surah al-a'raf ayat 98
surah al-a'raf ayat 99
surah al-a'raf ayat 100

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