Surah Al-A'raf 7:160 — translation and meaning

الأعراف · Verse 160 / 206 · Page 171

ۖ ۖ ۚ ۖ ۚ ۚ وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى إِذِ اسْتَسْقَاهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

Word by Word

ۖ
ۖ
ۚ
ۖ
ۚ
ۚ
وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ
waqatta'nahumu
And We divided them
اثْنَتَيْ
ith'natay
(into) two
عَشْرَةَ
ashrata
(and) ten [i.e. twelve]
أَسْبَاطًا
asbatan
tribes
أُمَمًا
umaman
(as) communities
وَأَوْحَيْنَا
wa-awhayna
And We inspired
إِلَى
ila
to
مُوسَى
musa
Musa
إِذِ
idhi
when
اسْتَسْقَاهُ
is'tasqahu
asked him for water
قَوْمُهُ
qawmuhu
his people
أَنِ
ani
[that]
اضْرِب
id'rib
Strike
بِّعَصَاكَ
bi'asaka
with your staff
الْحَجَرَ
al-hajara
the stone
فَانبَجَسَتْ
fa-inbajasat
Then gushed forth
مِنْهُ
min'hu
from it
اثْنَتَا
ith'nata
two
عَشْرَةَ
ashrata
(and) ten [i.e. twelve]
عَيْنًا
aynan
springs
قَدْ
qad
Certainly
عَلِمَ
alima
knew
كُلُّ
kullu
each
أُنَاسٍ
unasin
people
مَّشْرَبَهُمْ
mashrabahum
their drinking place
وَظَلَّلْنَا
wazallalna
And We shaded
عَلَيْهِمُ
alayhimu
[on] them
الْغَمَامَ
al-ghamama
(with) the clouds
وَأَنزَلْنَا
wa-anzalna
and We sent down
عَلَيْهِمُ
alayhimu
upon them
الْمَنَّ
al-mana
the manna
وَالسَّلْوَى
wal-salwa
and the quails
كُلُوا
kulu
Eat
مِن
min
from
طَيِّبَاتِ
tayyibati
(the) good things
مَا
ma
which
رَزَقْنَاكُمْ
razaqnakum
We have provided you
وَمَا
wama
And not
ظَلَمُونَا
zalamuna
they wronged Us
وَلَكِن
walakin
but
كَانُوا
kanu
they were
أَنفُسَهُمْ
anfusahum
(to) themselves
يَظْلِمُونَ
yazlimuna
doing wrong

Transliteration

Wa qatta' naahumus natai 'ashrata asbaatan umamaa; wa awhainaa ilaa Moosaaa izis tasqaahu qawmuhooo anid rib bi'asaakal hajara fambajasat minhus nata 'ashrata 'ainan qad 'alima kullu unaasim mashrabahm; wa zallalnaa 'alaihimul ghammaamma wa anzalnaa 'alaihimul MManna was Salwaa kuloo min taiyibaati maa razaqnaakum; wa maa zalamoonaa wa laakin kaanooo anfusahum yazlimoon

Translation

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.

Verse interpretation (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.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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