Surah Araf ayat 160 Tafsir Quran 7:160

﴿وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا ۚ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ إِذِ اسْتَسْقَاهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ ۖ فَانبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا ۖ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ ۚ وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ﴾
[ الأعراف: 160]

7:160 And We divided them into twelve descendant tribes [as distinct] nations. And We inspired to Moses when his people implored him for water, "Strike with your staff the stone," and there gushed forth from it twelve springs. Every people knew its watering place. And We shaded them with clouds and sent down upon them manna and quails, [saying], "Eat from the good things with which We have provided you." And they wronged Us not, but they were [only] wronging themselves.

And We divided them We separated the Children of Israel into twelve ithnatay ‘asharata is a circumstantial qualifier tribes asbātan substitutes for this previous circumstantial qualifier communities umaman substitutes for the preceding asbātan ‘tribes’. And We revealed to Moses when his people asked him for water in the wilderness saying ‘Strike the rock with your staff’ and he struck it and there gushed forth burst forth from it twelve fountains equal to the number of tribes each people each tribe among them now knew their drinking-place. And We made the cloud overshadow them in the wilderness from the heat of the sun and We sent down to them manna and quails — which are respectively a type of citrus turunjabīn and the quail and We said to them ‘Eat of the good things We have provided for you.’ And they did not wrong Us but they wronged themselves.

And We separated them into twelve divisions, nations as it were, - characterized by common descent from one of the twelve sons of Yaqub (Jaco)

مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ءَانَآءَ الَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ ( A party of the people of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer ) 3:113, وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَـشِعِينَ للَّهِ لاَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً أُوْلـئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ( And there are, certainly, among the People of the Scripture, those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah.
They do not sell the verses of Allah for a small price, for them is a reward with their Lord.
Surely, Allah is Swift in account. ) 3:199 الَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَآ إنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ أُوْلَـئِكَ يُؤْتُونَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُواْ ( Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, they believe in it (the Qur'an ).
And when it is recited to them, they say: "We believe in it.
Verily, it is the truth from our Lord.
Indeed even before it we have been from those who submit themselves.
These will be given their reward twice over, because they are patient.)28:52-54, and, قُلْ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ إِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا - وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً - وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا ( Verily, those who were given knowledge before it, when it (this Qur'an ) is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration.
And they say: "Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled." And they fall down on their faces weeping and it increases their humility.)17:107-109

(7:160) And We divided them into twelve tribes, forming them into communities. *118 When his people asked Moses for water We directed him: 'Smite the rock with your rod.' Then twelve springs gushed forth from the rock and every people knew their drinking-places. And We caused thick clouds to provide them shade, and We sent down upon them manna and quails, *119 saying: 'Eat of the clean things that We have provided you.' They wronged not Us, but it was themselves that they wronged.

And We divided them into twelve descendant meaning

*118).
This refers to the organization of the people of Israel which has been mentioned in the Qur'an in al-Ma'idah 5:12 and also described, at length, in the Bible in Numbers.
According to these sources, in compliance with God's command the Prophet Moses first conducted the census of the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai.
He registered their twelve tribes, ten of whom were descendants of the Prophet Jacob, and the remaining two descendants of the Prophet Joseph, as separate and distinct tribes.
He appointed a chief for each tribe and assigned to him the duty to maintain moral, religious, social and military discipline within each tribe and to enforce the Law.
The Levites, who were descendants of the Prophets Moses and Aaron, however, were organized as a distinct group entrusted with the task of providing religious guidance to all tribes.

*119).
This organization was one of the numerous favours which God had bestowed upon the Israelites.
Mention is made of three other favours bestowed upon them.
First, an extraordinary arrangement for their water supply was made in the otherwise arid Sinai peninsula.
Second, the sky was covered with clouds such that they were protected from the scorching heat of the sun.
Third, a unique meal, consisting of manna and quails was sent down on them.
Had this Divine arrangement, catering as it did for the millions of wandering Israelites' basic necessities of life, not been made, they would certainly have perished.

On visiting that land even today it is difficult to visualize how such an arrangement providing shelter, food and water for millions of people was made.
The population of this peninsula standseven today at a paltry, 55,000 people.
( it may be noted that this statement was made in the fifties of the present century.
However, the present population of the Sinai is 200,000 - Ed. ) If a five or six hundred thousand strong army, were to camp there today, it would be quite a task for those at the helm to provide the necessary supplies for the army.
Little wonder, then, that many scholars who belive neither in the Scripture nor in miracles, rule out the historical accuracy of the event.
For them, the people of Israel camped in an area lying south of Palestine and north of Arabia.
In view of the physical and economic geography of the Sinai peninsula, they consider it totally incredible that such a large population could have stayed there for years.
What has made these scholars even more sceptical about the event is the fact that the Israelites were not then in a position to procure supplies from either the Egyptians or the 'Amaliqah' who inhabited respectively the eastern and northern parts of the peninsula, since both groups were hostile to them.
It is against this background that one may appreciate the immense importance of the favours God conferred on the Israelites.
Likewise, it also gives one some idea of the blatant ingratitude of the people of Israel since they consistently defied and betrayed God even though they had witnessed a great many divine signs.
( See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol.
1, al-Baqarah 2: nn.
72-3 and 76, pp.
76-7 - Ed. )
 

مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ءَانَآءَ الَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ ( A party of the people of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer ) 3:113, وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَـشِعِينَ للَّهِ لاَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً أُوْلـئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ( And there are, certainly, among the People of the Scripture, those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah.
They do not sell the verses of Allah for a small price, for them is a reward with their Lord.
Surely, Allah is Swift in account. ) 3:199 الَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَآ إنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ أُوْلَـئِكَ يُؤْتُونَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُواْ ( Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, they believe in it (the Qur'an ).
And when it is recited to them, they say: "We believe in it.
Verily, it is the truth from our Lord.
Indeed even before it we have been from those who submit themselves.
These will be given their reward twice over, because they are patient.)28:52-54, and, قُلْ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ إِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا - وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً - وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا ( Verily, those who were given knowledge before it, when it (this Qur'an ) is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration.
And they say: "Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled." And they fall down on their faces weeping and it increases their humility.)17:107-109

( We divided them into twelve tribes, nations ) tribe by tribe: nine tribes and a half towards the East, where the sun rises, beyond China, on the river al-Raml ( also called Jordan ), and two tribes and a half all over the world; ( and We inspired Moses ) We commanded Moses, ( when his people asked him for water ) in the wilderness, ( saying: Smite with thy staff ) which is with you ( the rock! And there gushed forth therefrom ) from the rock ( twelve springs ) rivers, ( so that each tribe knew their drinking place ) from the river. ( And we caused the white cloud to overshadow them ) in the wilderness: in the day it protected them from the sun and in the night, it lit for them like a lamp ( and sent down for them the manna and the quails ) in the wilderness ( (saying ): Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you): the manna and the quails. ( They wronged Us not ) they did not hurt or harm Us because of what they committed, ( but they were wont to wrong themselves ) to harm and hurt themselves.

And We divided them into twelve tribes (as distinct) nations. We directed Musa (Moses) by inspiration, when his people asked him for water, (saying): "Strike the stone with your stick", and there gushed forth out of it twelve springs: each group knew its own place for water. We shaded them with the clouds and sent down upon them Al-Manna and the quails (saying): "Eat of the good things with which We have provided you." They harmed Us not but they used to harm themselves.

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