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Al-A'raf 160

Ayah 160 of 206 · Meccan

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 ١٦٠

And We divided them into twelve descendant tribes1 [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 [i.e., tribe] 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.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 From the twelve sons of Jacob.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَقَطَّعۡنَٰهُمُAnd We divided themwaqaṭṭaʿnāhumu
  2. ٱثۡنَتَيۡ(into) twoith'natay
  3. عَشۡرَةَ(and) ten [i.e. twelve]ʿashrata
  4. أَسۡبَاطًاtribesasbāṭan
  5. أُمَمٗاۚ(as) communitiesumaman
  6. وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآAnd We inspiredwa-awḥaynā
  7. إِلَىٰtoilā
  8. مُوسَىٰٓMusamūsā
  9. إِذِwhenidhi
  10. ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰهُasked him for wateris'tasqāhu
  11. قَوۡمُهُۥٓhis peopleqawmuhu
  12. أَنِ[that]ani
  13. ٱضۡرِبStrikeiḍ'rib
  14. بِّعَصَاكَwith your staffbiʿaṣāka
  15. ٱلۡحَجَرَۖthe stonel-ḥajara
  16. فَٱنۢبَجَسَتۡThen gushed forthfa-inbajasat
  17. مِنۡهُfrom itmin'hu
  18. ٱثۡنَتَاtwoith'natā
  19. عَشۡرَةَ(and) ten [i.e. twelve]ʿashrata
  20. عَيۡنٗاۖspringsʿaynan
  21. قَدۡCertainlyqad
  22. عَلِمَknewʿalima
  23. كُلُّeachkullu
  24. أُنَاسٖpeopleunāsin
  25. مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۚtheir drinking placemashrabahum
  26. وَظَلَّلۡنَاAnd We shadedwaẓallalnā
  27. عَلَيۡهِمُ[on] themʿalayhimu
  28. ٱلۡغَمَٰمَ(with) the cloudsl-ghamāma
  29. وَأَنزَلۡنَاand We sent downwa-anzalnā
  30. عَلَيۡهِمُupon themʿalayhimu
  31. ٱلۡمَنَّthe mannal-mana
  32. وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰۖand the quailswal-salwā
  33. كُلُواْEatkulū
  34. مِنfrommin
  35. طَيِّبَٰتِ(the) good thingsṭayyibāti
  36. مَاwhichmā
  37. رَزَقۡنَٰكُمۡۚWe have provided yourazaqnākum
  38. وَمَاAnd notwamā
  39. ظَلَمُونَاthey wronged Usẓalamūnā
  40. وَلَٰكِنbutwalākin
  41. كَانُوٓاْthey werekānū
  42. أَنفُسَهُمۡ(to) themselvesanfusahum
  43. يَظۡلِمُونَdoing wrongyaẓlimūna

Tafsir

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.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran