Quran Universe
7:131

فَإِذَا جَآءَتۡهُمُ ٱلۡحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَٰذِهِۦۖ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ سَيِّئَةٞ يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥٓۗ أَلَآ إِنَّمَا طَـٰٓئِرُهُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

Faitha jaathumu alhasanatu qaloo lana hathihi wain tusibhum sayyiatun yattayyaroo bimoosa waman maAAahu ala innama tairuhum AAinda Allahi walakinna aktharahum la yaAAlamoona

But when good came to them, they said, "This is ours [by right]." And if a bad [condition] struck them, they saw an evil omen in Moses and those with him. Unquestionably, their fortune is with Allah, but most of them do not know.

Word by word
  1. فَإِذَاBut when
  2. جَآءَتۡهُمُcame to them
  3. ٱلۡحَسَنَةُthe good
  4. قَالُواْthey said
  5. لَنَاFor us
  6. هَٰذِهِۦۖ(is) this
  7. وَإِنAnd if
  8. تُصِبۡهُمۡafflicts them
  9. سَيِّئَةٞbad
  10. يَطَّيَّرُواْthey ascribe evil omens
  11. بِمُوسَىٰto Musa
  12. وَمَنand who
  13. مَّعَهُۥٓۗ(were) with him
  14. أَلَآBehold
  15. إِنَّمَاOnly
  16. طَـٰٓئِرُهُمۡtheir evil omens
  17. عِندَ(are) with
  18. ٱللَّهِAllah
  19. وَلَٰكِنَّbut
  20. أَكۡثَرَهُمۡmost of them
  21. لَا(do) not
  22. يَعۡلَمُونَknow
Al-A'raf · 7:131Makkah

Good times were ours; bad times were someone's fault.

Taking credit for blessings, blaming others for trials

How they read events
good seasonthis is ours, we deserve it
hard seasonit is Musa's fault
but really
both from Allahmost do not know
Credit and blame
good is mine, bad is yourstheir reading
all is with Allahthe verse's reading

When good came, Fir'awn's people said it was theirs by right. When hardship came, they called Musa and his followers a bad omen. Ibn 'Abbas explained: their afflictions are with and from Allah, but most of them did not know.

Your team hits the target: that was my strategy. The next quarter drops: the new hire slowed us down. Credit for me, blame for them. The same pattern runs in families and marriages.

When things go well it is me, when they go badly it is someone else.

Both the good and the hard come from Allah, so I thank Him and look at myself.

Try this

Next time something goes wrong, before naming anyone, ask: what was my part?

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:130)

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.)"