Allah said,

﴿وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَآ ءالَ 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 مِّن 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 يَذَّكَّرُونَفَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ﴾

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

﴿قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ﴾

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

﴿وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ﴾

(and if evil afflicted them) drought and famine,

﴿يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى 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.

﴿أَلاَ إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ﴾

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

﴿أَلاَ إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ﴾

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

﴿وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾

(but most of them know not.)''

﴿وَقَالُواْ مَهْمَا تَأْتِنَا بِهِ مِن ءَايَةٍ لِّتَسْحَرَنَا بِهَا فَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ - فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الطُّوفَانَ وَالْجَرَادَ وَالْقُمَّلَ وَالضَّفَادِعَ وَالدَّمَ ءَايَـتٍ مّفَصَّلاَتٍ فَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ وَكَانُواْ قَوْماً مُّجْرِمِينَ - وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّجْزُ قَالُواْ يَمُوسَى ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا الرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ - فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ الرِّجْزَ إِلَى أَجَلٍ هُم بَـلِغُوهُ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُونَ ﴾

(132. They said ﴿to Musa﴾: "Whatever Ayat you may bring to us, to work therewith your sorcery on us, we shall never believe in you.'') (133. So We sent on them: the Tuwfan, the locusts, the Qummal, the frogs, and the blood (as a succession of) manifest signs, yet they remained arrogant, and they were of those people who were criminals.) (134. And when the punishment struck them, they said: "O Musa! Invoke your Lord for us because of His promise to you. If you remove the punishment from us, we indeed shall believe in you, and we shall let the Children of Israel go with you.'') (135. But when We removed the punishment from them for a fixed term, which they had to reach, behold! They broke their word!)