Tafsir of Ya seen 36:19

(They said)—meaning the messengers, in response to them—(Your omen)—that is, the cause of your ill fortune—(is with you); it is not from us, as you claim. It is your corrupt belief and the ugliness of your deeds.

Ibn al-Mundhir recorded from Ibn Abbas that he interpreted "the omen" as ill fortune itself, meaning: your ill fortune is with you, which is your persistence in disbelief. As for us, there is no ill fortune with us, because we call to monotheism and the worship of Allah the Exalted, and therein lies the ultimate good fortune, benefit, and blessing. According to Abu Ubaidah and al-Mubarrad, "your omen" means your lot and portion of good and evil is with you, arising from your own actions; if good, then it is good, and if evil, then it is evil.

Al-Hasan, Ibn Hurmuz, ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd, and Zirr ibn Hubaysh read it as tayrukum (طيركم) with a quiescent ya after the ta. Al-Zajjaj said: al-ta’ir and al-tayr share the same meaning. In al-Qamus, it is stated that al-tayr is the plural of ta’ir, though it may be applied to the singular. It is noted that al-tayr appears in the Noble Quran only in the plural, as in His saying: "And the birds (al-tayr) lined up." If it is the same in this reading, then although ta’ir is singular, its addition makes it inclusive of everything from which an omen is taken; thus, it holds the meaning of the plural, and the two readings are consistent. It is narrated from al-Hasan that he read attayrukum (أطيركم), which is the verbal noun (masdar) of ittayara, the origin of which is tatayyara; the ta was assimilated into the ta’, and a hamzat al-wasl was introduced in the past tense and the verbal noun.

(Is it that you have been reminded?)—with two hamzahs; the first is the interrogative hamzah, and the second is the conditional hamzah of in. The Kufans and Ibn ‘Amir realized both, while the rest of the seven softened the second. Sibawayh and Yunus disagreed as to which of the two—the interrogation or the condition—requires a response. Sibawayh held that the interrogation is answered by estimating the matter being inquired about, as if it dispenses with the need for a conditional response. The meaning would be: "Is it that because you were reminded and preached to with that which brings your happiness, you take omens, or threaten, or similar?" One may estimate a present tense verb in the nominative or, if you wish, a past tense verb like tatayyartum (you took omens).

Yunus went to the view that the condition is answered, as if it dispenses with answering the interrogation, and a consequence for it is estimated. Thus, the meaning is: "If you are reminded, do you then take omens?" or similar to what is indicated by the preceding text. One may estimate a present tense verb in the jussive or, if you wish, a past tense verb with the standing of a jussive.

Zirr read it with two hamzahs in the fathah, which is the reading of Abu Ja’far and Talhah, though they softened the second between-and-between. Upon their realization, the poet’s saying comes: "If you were Dawud ibn Ahwa, an artisan, then you are not an observer of the sacred for your cousin." The first hamzah is for interrogation, and the second is the masdariyyah (infinitive) hamzah. The speech is based on the estimation of a prepositional lam, meaning: "Is it that because you were reminded, you took omens?"

Al-Majishun Yusuf ibn Ya’qub al-Madani read it with one hamzah in the fathah. It is possible that the interrogative hamzah is intended, making this reading identical in meaning to the one before it. It is also possible that it is not intended, making the speech in the form of a statement, which, as has been said, is meant to express astonishment and rebuke. The estimation of the preposition remains, and the prepositional phrase is connected to a suppressed element as indicated by the words of al-Kashshaf, meaning: "You took omens because you were reminded."

Ibn Jinni said that in dhukkirtum (if you were reminded) in this reading is governed by "Your omen is with you." For when they said, "We take an omen from you," they were answered: "Nay, your omen is with you if you are reminded," meaning it is with you because you were reminded, yet you neither remembered nor desisted. He sufficed with the cause (the reminder) instead of the effect (the desisting), just as they described the omen in the place of its effect, which is the ill-fortune, due to their familiarity with regarding the croaking or flight of a crow as a bad omen.

Al-Hasan read it with one hamzah in the kasrah. In this, there are two possibilities: the estimation of the [interrogative] hamzah—making this reading identical to that of the masses—or no estimation, making it a statement where the response is suppressed due to the indication of what precedes it, estimated as previously mentioned.

Abu ‘Amr, in one report, and Zirr also read it with two hamzahs in the fathah separated by an alif, as if he found their proximity heavy and separated them with an alif.

Abu Ja’far, al-Hasan, Qatadah, al-A’mash, and others also read it as ayna dhukkirtum (أين ذكرتم), with an interrogative hamzah, a quiescent ya, and a fathah on the nun, with dhukkirtum having a light kaf. This is based on ayna being a conditional adverb, and its response is suppressed due to "Your omen is with you" indicating it, as is said: "Wherever you are reminded, your omen accompanies you." The intent is that your ill fortune is with you wherever your mention occurs, and this contains an obvious hyperbole regarding their ill fortune.

In al-Bahr, whoever allows the consequence to precede the condition—who are the Kufans, Abu Zayd, and al-Mubarrad—permits the response to be "Your omen is with you." Its origin would be: "Wherever you are reminded, your omen is with you," and when it was moved forward, the fa was dropped.

(Nay, you are a transgressing people)—meaning, your custom of extravagance and exceeding the bounds in disobedience is constant. Hence, the ill fortune came to you, not from the messengers of Allah the Exalted and their reminders. This is a turning away from what is implied by His saying "Is it that you have been reminded?"—which is an absolute denial that that which is the cause of all happiness should be the cause of ill fortune—because it is an alerting and a stirring towards attributing the ill fortune to them, and proving the extravagance, which is more emphatic and the true bringer of all ill fortune. Or, "Nay, you are a transgressing people" in your misguidance, persisting in your error, as you take as an omen of ill-fortune those who ought to be sources of blessing—the guides to the religion of Allah the Exalted. It is a turning away from the entirety of the speech; they answered them by stating that they had made those who are causes of happiness [the sources of their ill-fortune], while incorporating into it an alert to their evil action in being deprived of that happiness. Then, they turned away from it to what the people did inverting what sound judgment requires. Reflect on this.