Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 61

(Ayah 61) ➊ Manna and quails were made a single food because they received the same food daily, with no change in it. The meat of birds and the naturally growing things of the desert were a special blessing from Allah and the best food for health. Then they had freedom and leisure, in which they could acquire knowledge and prepare for jihad to gain honor and power, but they did not value these blessings and began to demand those things to which they were accustomed during the time of slavery, and which were utterly insignificant compared to the manna and quails found in the free atmosphere. Then, for this, they had to engage in agriculture, which is always imposed by victorious nations upon the defeated, and in which complete involvement results in humiliation and poverty, as Allah said: «{ وَ لَا تُلْقُوْا بِاَيْدِيْكُمْ اِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ } » [ البقرۃ : ۱۹۵ ] "And do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction." The explanation of this verse is in Sahih Bukhari, where Abu Umamah Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a plow and some agricultural tool and said, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: [ لاَ يَدْخُلُ هٰذَا بَيْتَ قَوْمٍ إِلاَّ أَدْخَلَهُ اللّٰهُ الذُّلَّ ] "These things do not enter a house except that Allah enters humiliation into it." This does not mean that agriculture is forbidden, but rather that losing oneself in this work and abandoning jihad is meant. That is why Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) has made a chapter on this hadith: {’’ بَابُ مَا يُحْذَرُ مِنْ عَوَاقِبِ الْاِشْتِغَالِ بِآلَةِ الزَّرْعِ أَوْ مُجَاوَزَةِ الْحَدِّ الَّذِيْ أُمِرَ بِهِ‘‘} that is, the chapter on the dangers of being overly involved in agricultural tools or exceeding the limit that has been prescribed." [ بخاری، المزارعۃ، قبل ح : ۲۳۲۱ ]
Humiliation and poverty were imposed upon the Children of Israel as a result of this demand, and they became the target of Allah's wrath. See also Surah Al-Imran (112).
➋ Here, { ”مِصْرًا“ } is indefinite and declinable, because in the Uthmani manuscripts' script, the alif is present, so it refers to any one city. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) gave this explanation; some have taken it to mean Egypt of Pharaoh. (Ibn Kathir)
➌ { ”بِغَضَبٍ“ } The tanween here is for magnification, so it has been translated as "great wrath."
➍ {”فُوْمِهَا“} Most commentators have taken this to mean wheat; some have taken it to mean garlic.
➎ Some people say that no prophet was killed, because this is against the promise mentioned in Surah Ibrahim (13, 14). These people take the meaning of killing as intending to kill or causing severe pain, but in several places in the Noble Qur'an, the explicit word "killing" is used, for example: «{ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُوْنَ اَنْۢبِيَآءَ اللّٰهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ }» [ البقرۃ : ۹۲ ] "Say, then why did you kill the prophets of Allah before this?" As for the divine promise, it is also for ordinary believers; see Surah An-Nur (55). This does not mean that no believer was killed; certainly, many believers were killed and many prophets as well. Even our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) attained martyrdom at the hands of the Jews. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), in the illness in which he passed away, used to say: [ يَا عَائِشَةُ ! مَا أَزَالُ أَجِدُ أَلَمَ الطَّعَامِ الَّذِيْ أَكَلْتُ بِخَيْبَرَ فَهٰذَا أَوَانُ وَجَدْتُّ انْقِطَاعَ أَبْهَرِيْ مِنْ ذٰلِكَ السُّمِّ ] "I have always felt the pain from the food I ate at Khaybar, and now is the time that I feel my aorta being cut from that poison." [ بخاری، المغازی، باب مرض النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ووفاتہ : ۴۴۲۸ ] The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ عَذَابًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ رَجُلٌ قَتَلَهٗ نَبِيٌّ أَوْ قَتَلَ نَبِيًّا وَ إِمَامُ ضَلاَلَةٍ وَ مُمَثِّلٌ مِنَ الْمُمَثِّلِيْنَ ] "On the Day of Resurrection, the person with the severest punishment will be the one who killed a prophet or was killed by a prophet, and the leader of misguidance, and an image-maker." [ مسند أحمد : ۱؍۴۰۷، ح : ۳۸۶۸۔ عن عبد اللہ بن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہ ، صححہ أحمد شاکر و حسنہ الشیخ مقبل الوادعی ] If no prophet can be killed, then what would this hadith mean? Even in the Bible, the killing of Zechariah (Chronicles, chapter 24, verse 21) and the killing of John (Mark, chapter 6, verses 17–29) are mentioned.

61. 1 This story is also from the plain of Tih. Here, "Egypt" does not mean Egypt itself, but rather any city. The meaning is: go to any city from here, do farming there, grow and eat the vegetables and lentils of your choice. Since this demand was an act of ingratitude, it was said to them that the things you desire are available there for you. 61. 2 Where are those favors and blessings, the details of which have already been mentioned? And where is that humiliation and misery which was later imposed upon them, and they became the recipients of Allah's wrath? Wrath, like mercy, is an attribute of Allah, and it is not correct to interpret it as merely the intention of punishment or the punishment itself. Allah became angry with them. 61. 3 The reason for this humiliation and Allah's wrath is being stated. That is, denial of Allah's signs and the humiliation and insult of the prophets (AS) who called towards Allah—this is the cause of Allah's wrath. If all the Jews committed this and became accursed and humiliated, then how can those who commit this today be honored and successful, whoever and wherever they may be? 61. 4 This is the second reason for humiliation and misery. The meaning of عَصَوْ (disobeyed) is that they committed the acts from which they were forbidden. Obedience and submission is to do as commanded. Any addition or omission from oneself is excess (اعتداء), which Allah greatly dislikes.

61. And (remember) when you said, "O Moses! We cannot endure one kind of food, so pray to your Lord for us to bring forth for us what the earth grows—its herbs, cucumbers, wheat, lentils, and onions." Mosesؑ said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is inferior? Go down to any town, and you will find what you have asked for." [78] So humiliation [79] and misery were imposed upon them, and they incurred the wrath of Allah. That was because they used to reject the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and transgressed beyond bounds.

[78]
The Children of Israel Not Being Content with Manna and Quails:

This is also an incident from the same wilderness where the Children of Israel were confined for a long period. They were receiving blessings like manna and quails without any effort. However, they became weary of eating these things and demanded produce from the earth. Musa (peace be upon him) explained to them, "What you are receiving here without effort is far better than what you are asking for, and that will only be obtained after toil." But when these people insisted on their demand, Musa (peace be upon him) finally accepted their request and said, "If this is what you want, then go to such-and-such city; there you will find these things available." Musa (peace be upon him) did not only mean that the manna and quails you are receiving without effort are better than the wheat and greens, etc., which require effort, but also that the free atmosphere of the wilderness is, in every case, better than the busy and comfort-seeking life of the city in terms of removing cowardice from you, instilling courage, preparing you for jihad, and allowing you to worship Allah in leisure. And you are demanding something inferior for yourselves instead of something better.

[79]
The Meaning of Humiliation and Misery:

In addition to humiliation and adversity, Allah's wrath was that the period of their training and upbringing was extended to forty years. Otherwise, if they had followed the will of Allah and His Messenger Musa (peace be upon him), it was possible that they could have conquered the land of Syria before forty years had passed. But it had become their habit that whenever they saw something against their own wishes, they would immediately resort to disobedience, to the extent that they even killed some of the prophets. Another form of Allah's wrath, humiliation, and misery is that the Jewish nation has been defeated by other nations many times. Despite being wealthy, even today they are facing a severe shortage of manpower, and even if their government has been established in a small region, it is maintaining its existence with the support of other nations. The moral decline is such that even today, shamelessness, obscenity, usury, and unlawful consumption are the distinguishing features of this nation.