Quran Universe
36:18

قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرۡنَا بِكُمۡۖ لَئِن لَّمۡ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرۡجُمَنَّكُمۡ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ

Qaloo inna tatayyarna bikum lain lam tantahoo lanarjumannakum walayamassannakum minna AAathabun aleemun

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."

Word by word
  1. قَالُوٓاْThey said
  2. إِنَّاIndeed,we
  3. تَطَيَّرۡنَا[we] see an evil omen
  4. بِكُمۡۖfrom you
  5. لَئِنIf
  6. لَّمۡnot
  7. تَنتَهُواْyou desist
  8. لَنَرۡجُمَنَّكُمۡsurely,we will stone you
  9. وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمand surely will touch you
  10. مِّنَّاfrom us
  11. عَذَابٌa punishment
  12. أَلِيمٞpainful
Ya-Sin · 36:18Makkah

You are bad luck for us.

Blaming the reminder for the trouble

The town's reaction
an evil omenbad things are your fault
then
threatsstoning, punishment
Where trouble comes from
the one who remindsbrings bad luck
from Allahtied to our own deeds

Qatadah said they claimed if something bad befalls us, it will be because of you. Mujahid said they believed people like these messengers always brought punishment on a town. Then came the threat to stone them.

Since that friend started reminding you to pray, you feel uncomfortable around them. You start avoiding them as if they bring bad vibes. The discomfort may be your conscience waking up.

Since that person came along, things feel worse. They must be the problem.

The reminder is not the bad luck. Sometimes discomfort is the start of change.

Try this

Thank, instead of avoid, the next person who reminds you of Allah.

Related7:13127:474:78
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

They (people) said: "For us, we see an evil omen from you; if you cease not, we will surely stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us. (18)They (Messengers) said: "Your evil omens be with you! Because you are admonished? Nay, but you are a people mischievous.") Then the people of the city said to the (19)

إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ

(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."

لَئِنْ لَمْ تَنْتَهُوا لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ 

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

وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

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

طَائِرُكُمْ مَعَكُمْ

(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:

فَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا لَنَا هَٰذِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُوا بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ

(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:

اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَنْ مَعَكَ ۚ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ

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

وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُوا هَٰذِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا هَٰذِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ ۚ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَمَالِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا 

(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)

أَئِنْ ذُكِّرْتُمْ ۚ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُسْرِفُونَ

((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'."