سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 160
وَقَطَّعْنَـٰهُمُ ٱثْنَتَىْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا ۚ وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱسْتَسْقَىٰهُ قَوْمُهُۥٓ أَنِ ٱضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلْحَجَرَ ۖ فَٱنۢبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ ٱثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا ۖ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ ۚ وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْغَمَـٰمَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿160﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
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 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.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَطَّعْنَـٰهُمُ
waqaṭṭaʿnāhumu
And We divided them
ٱثْنَتَىْ
ith'natay
(into) two
عَشْرَةَ
ʿashrata
(and) ten [i.e. twelve]
أَسْبَاطًا
asbāṭan
tribes
أُمَمًۭا ۚ
umaman
(as) communities
وَأَوْحَيْنَآ
wa-awḥaynā
And We inspired
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
مُوسَىٰٓ
mūsā
Musa
إِذِ
idhi
when
ٱسْتَسْقَىٰهُ
is'tasqāhu
asked him for water
قَوْمُهُۥٓ
qawmuhu
his people
أَنِ
ani
[that]
ٱضْرِب
iḍ'rib
Strike
بِّعَصَاكَ
biʿaṣāka
with your staff
ٱلْحَجَرَ ۖ
l-ḥajara
the stone
فَٱنۢبَجَسَتْ
fa-inbajasat
Then gushed forth
مِنْهُ
min'hu
from it
ٱثْنَتَا
ith'natā
two
عَشْرَةَ
ʿashrata
(and) ten [i.e. twelve]
عَيْنًۭا ۖ
ʿaynan
springs
قَدْ
qad
Certainly
عَلِمَ
ʿalima
knew
كُلُّ
kullu
each
أُنَاسٍۢ
unāsin
people
مَّشْرَبَهُمْ ۚ
mashrabahum
their drinking place
وَظَلَّلْنَا
waẓallalnā
And We shaded
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
[on] them
ٱلْغَمَـٰمَ
l-ghamāma
(with) the clouds
وَأَنزَلْنَا
wa-anzalnā
and We sent down
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
upon them
ٱلْمَنَّ
l-mana
the manna
وَٱلسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ
wal-salwā
and the quails
كُلُوا۟
kulū
Eat
مِن
min
from
طَيِّبَـٰتِ
ṭayyibāti
(the) good things
مَا
mā
which
رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ ۚ
razaqnākum
We have provided you
وَمَا
wamā
And not
ظَلَمُونَا
ẓalamūnā
they wronged Us
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
كَانُوٓا۟
kānū
they were
أَنفُسَهُمْ
anfusahum
(to) themselves
يَظْلِمُونَ
yaẓlimūna
doing wrong
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
160. 1. اَسْبَا ط is the plural of سِبْط, meaning grandson. Here, اسباط is used in the sense of tribes. That is, from the twelve sons of Prophet Yaqub (علیہ السلام), twelve tribes came into existence. In each tribe, Allah Almighty appointed a Naqeeb (supervisor). Here, Allah Almighty is mentioning as a favor the fact that, due to some distinctive qualities among these twelve tribes, they were considered separate groups.
