Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 57

In the desert of Sinai, they had nothing to eat and the heat of the desert sun was burning them, so Allah Almighty provided them with the shade of a special kind of cloud and arranged for manna and quails for them to eat. The most authentic explanation of { ”الْمَنَّ“ } is that of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: [اَلْكَمَأَةُ مِنَ الْمَنِّ وَمَائُهَا شِفَاءٌ لِلْعَيْنِ ] [ بخاری، الطب، باب المن شفاء للعین : ۵۷۰۸۔ مسلم : ۲۰4۹، عن سعید بن زید رضی اللہ عنہ ] "The truffle is from { ”مَنّ“ } and its water is a cure for the eye." From this, it is understood that {”مَنّ“} were several things that grew in the desert by themselves, one of which was the mushroom. Similarly, that sweet gum was also a type of { ”مَنّ“ }, which has been reported from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, and Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, in the explanation of { ”مَنّ“ }. { ”السَّلْوٰى“ } is a generic noun, its singular is { ”سَلْواةٌ“ }, it is a bird a quail or a bird similar to it. By the command of Allah, countless birds would come into the desert and they would catch and eat them.

57. 1. According to most commentators, this is the incident of the plain of Tih between Egypt and Syria. When they refused to enter the settlement of the Amalekites by the command of Allah, as a punishment, the Children of Israel remained in the plain of Tih for forty years. According to some, this specification is not correct. After descending into the Sinai desert, when the issue of water and food first arose, this arrangement was made at that very time.

58. 1. According to some, "manna" is a dew which is sweet like honey that falls on trees and stones and, when dried, becomes like gum. According to others, it is honey or sweet water. In Bukhari and Muslim, etc., there is a hadith that the mushroom is from the same type of manna that was sent down upon Musa (عليه السلام). This means that just as the Children of Israel received that food without effort, similarly, the mushroom grows without anyone sowing it. "Salwa" was a bird like a quail or sparrow, which they would slaughter and eat. (Fath al-Qadeer)

57. And We shaded you with clouds [73] and sent down to you manna and quails, (saying), "Eat of the good things We have provided for you." They did not wrong Us, but they wronged their own souls.

[73]
The Refusal of Bani Israel to Engage in Jihad:

This incident will be mentioned in detail in Surah Al-Ma'idah. In brief, when Musa (peace be upon him) brought Bani Israel to the Valley of Sinai, at that time this nation numbered in the millions. Musa (peace be upon him) told them to attack the land of Shaam (this was the land that had been promised to them), but they said, "O Musa! There are tyrannical people living there. Therefore, we do not have the strength to face them, and if this attack is so necessary, then you and your Lord both go and fight them; we will just sit here." Their response was actually due to the cowardice that had developed in them after years of living under the slavery of Pharaoh.

The Punishment for Refusing Jihad:

Because of this response, Allah Almighty postponed the conquest of the land of Shaam for them for forty years. The reason was so that during this period, this cowardly generation would perish, and the next generation, which would be born in this wilderness and in an atmosphere of freedom, would develop some courage and bravery and become capable of jihad. Now the question was that in this wilderness there were neither any houses nor any provisions for food and drink, and the people numbered in the millions.

The Cloud, Manna and Quails, and Twelve Springs:

In this situation, Allah Almighty kept the sky overcast with clouds for this long period; otherwise, all these people would have been destroyed by the intensity of the sun. And He arranged for their food in such a way that He sent down manna and quails in abundance. Manna was a sweet thing similar to coriander seeds, which would descend at night in the form of dew, and quails were a type of bird which they would roast and make kebabs from and eat. These foods were provided to them in abundance from Allah Almighty without any effort on their part throughout this long period, and these were special favors of Allah Almighty upon this nation. Otherwise, for the disappointing answer they gave to Musa (peace be upon him), if Allah had willed, He could have destroyed them as a punishment, and living in this wilderness in such a manner was also due to their own deeds. In this very desert, Sayyiduna Harun (peace be upon him) passed away. Then, a year later, Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) also passed away.