Surah Al-A'raf — 7:160
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وَقَطَّعۡنَٰهُمُ ٱثۡنَتَيۡ عَشۡرَةَ أَسۡبَاطًا أُمَمٗاۚ وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰهُ قَوۡمُهُۥٓ أَنِ ٱضۡرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلۡحَجَرَۖ فَٱنۢبَجَسَتۡ مِنۡهُ ٱثۡنَتَا عَشۡرَةَ عَيۡنٗاۖ قَدۡ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٖ مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۚ وَظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡغَمَٰمَ وَأَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰۖ كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَٰكُمۡۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ
We divided them into twelve tribes—each as a community. And We revealed to Moses, when his people asked for water, “Strike the rock with your staff.” Then twelve springs gushed out. Each tribe knew its drinking place. We shaded them with clouds and sent down to them manna and quails, ˹saying˺, “Eat from the good things We have provided for you.” They ˹certainly˺ did not wrong Us, but wronged themselves.
Commentary
Allah divided the Israelites into twelve tribes. Then, when his people were asking him to call upon Allah to give them water, He inspired Moses to hit the stone with his stick. Moses hit it and twelve springs gushed out of it, which was the same number as the number of tribes. Each of the tribes knew which one was their own drinking place, which none of the other tribes shared with them. Allah shaded them with clouds which followed them where they moved and stopped with them. He also sent them manna, which was similar like gum with a sweet taste, and quails, or a bird similar to quails, and told them to eat of the good things He had provided for them. They did not wrong Allah through their disobedience and ingratitude for the blessings they were given, not appreciating them as they should have been, but they wronged themselves, bringing themselves to ruin through going against the commands of Allah and not acknowledging His blessings to them.