And We divided them into twelve descendant tribes413 [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.
Verse 160 of Surah Al-A’raf (7:160), a Meccan surah, is in juz 9, on page 171 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 160
Al-Mukhtasar
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.
We divided them into twelve tribes62, each as a community, and We inspired Moses when his people asked him for water, “Strike the rock with your staff.” There gushed forth from it twelve springs; each tribe knew the place of its drinking. We shaded them with clouds and sent down to them manna and quails, “Eat of the good things We have provided for you.” They did not wrong Us, but it was themselves that they wronged.
Notes
[62] From the twelve sons of Jacob.
And We divided them into twelve tribes (as distinct) nations. We revealed to Mûsâ (Moses) 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 11 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.
Notes
[11] (V.7:160) See the footnote of (V.2:57)
We divided them into twelve tribes, nations; and We inspired Moses, when his people asked him for water, saying: Smite with thy staff the rock! And there gushed forth therefrom twelve springs, so that each tribe knew their drinking-place. And we caused the white cloud to overshadow them and sent down for them the manna and the quails (saying): Eat of the good things wherewith we have provided you. They wronged Us not, but they were wont to wrong themselves.
We divided them into twelve tribes or nations. We directed Moses by inspiration, when his (thirsty) people asked him for water: "Strike the rock with thy staff": out of it there gushed forth twelve springs: Each group knew its own place for water. We gave them the shade of clouds, and sent down to them manna and quails, (saying): "Eat of the good things We have provided for you": (but they rebelled); to Us they did no harm, but they harmed their own souls.
And We divided them into twelve tribes, as nations; and We revealed to Musa when his people asked him for water: Strike the rock with your staff, so outnowed from it twelve springs; each tribe knew its drinking place; and We made the clouds to give shade over them and We sent to them manna and quails: Eat of the good things We have given you. And they did not do Us any harm, but they did injustice to their own souls.
And We Cut them up into twelve Grandsons, (Moses) nations. And We revealed to Musa, as his people asked him for water, (saying), "Strike with your staff the stone!" So there squirt forth from it twelve springs; every folk already knew their drinking-place. And We overshadowed them with mists, and We sent down manna and quails upon them: (i.e. the Tribes) "Eat of whatever good things with which We have provided you." And in no way did they do injustice to Us, but to themselves they were doing injustice..
Verse 160 word by word
وَقَطَّعْنَٰهُمُwaqaṭṭaʿnāhumuAnd We divided themق ط ع
And We shaded you with clouds and sent down to you 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 [recall] when Moses prayed for water for his people, so We said, "Strike with your staff the stone." And there gushed forth from it twelve springs, and every people [i.e., tribe] knew its watering place. "Eat and drink from the provision of Allāh, and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."
O you who have believed, eat from the good [i.e., lawful] things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allāh if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.
[Saying], "Eat from the good things with which We have provided you and do not transgress [or oppress others] therein, lest My anger should descend upon you. And he upon whom My anger descends has certainly fallen [i.e., perished]."
And to those who are Jews We have prohibited that which We related to you before. And We did not wrong them [thereby], but they were wronging themselves.
Do they [i.e., the disbelievers] await except that the angels should come to them or there comes the command of your Lord? Thus did those do before them. And Allāh wronged them not, but they had been wronging themselves.
