Quran Universe
7:130

وَلَقَدۡ أَخَذۡنَآ ءَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ بِٱلسِّنِينَ وَنَقۡصٖ مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

Walaqad akhathna ala firAAawna bialssineena wanaqsin mina alththamarati laAAallahum yaththakkaroona

And We certainly seized the people of Pharaoh with years of famine and a deficiency in fruits that perhaps they would be reminded.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd certainly
  2. أَخَذۡنَآWe seized
  3. ءَالَ(the) people
  4. فِرۡعَوۡنَ(of) Firaun
  5. بِٱلسِّنِينَwith years (of famine)
  6. وَنَقۡصٖand a deficit
  7. مِّنَof
  8. ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ[the] fruits
  9. لَعَلَّهُمۡso that they may
  10. يَذَّكَّرُونَreceive admonition
Al-A'raf · 7:130Makkah

Hard years were sent so they might remember.

Drought and shrinking harvests as a reminder

What came to Egypt
years of droughtlittle produce
less fruitone date on a tree
so that
they rememberand turn back
What the hardship was
just bad luckrandom weather
a remindermeant to wake them

Allah tested Fir'awn's people with years of drought and poor harvests. Ibn Kathir reports from Raja' bin Haywah that a date palm would produce only one date. The purpose is named in the verse: that they might remember.

Business slows. The car breaks down the same week the boiler does. You curse your luck and scroll for distraction. A hard season can be an invitation to stop and ask what Allah wants you to notice.

Hard times are just bad luck I have to get through.

Hardship can be a mercy meant to make me remember Allah.

Try this

Name one current difficulty. Ask: what is this reminding me of? Write one line.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And indeed We punished the people of Fir'awn with years of drought and lack of fruits (crops), that they might remember (take heed)(130)But whenever good came to them, they said: "This is for us." And if evil afflicted them, they considered it an omen about Musa and those with him. Be informed! Verily, their omens are with Allah but most of them know not (131)

Fir'awn and His People suffer Years of Drought

Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ

(And indeed We punished the people of Fir'awn) We tested and tried them,

بِالسِّنِينَ 

(with years of drought) of famine due to little produce,

وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ

(and lack of fruits), which is less severe, according to Mujahid. Abu Ishaq narrated that Raja' bin Haywah said, "The date tree used to produce only one date!"

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ - فَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ

(That they might remember (take heed). But whenever good came to them) such as a fertile season and provisions,

قَالُوا لَنَا هَٰذِهِ

(they said, "This is for us."), because we deserve it,

وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ 

(and if evil afflicted them) drought and famine,

يَطَّيَّرُوا بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُ

(they considered it an omen Musa and those with him.) saying that this hardship is because of them and what they have done.

أَلَا إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ 

(Verily, their omens are with Allah) 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas commented on the Ayah,

أَلَا إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ 

(Verily, their omens are with Allah) "Allah says that their afflictions are with and from Him,

وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most of them know not.)"