Surah al-A`raf (The Elevated Places) 7 : 159

Overview (Verses 159 - 160)

Straying Away from God’s Commandments

The sūrah resumes its account of the certain aspects of the history of the Israelites, picking it up after the violent trembling that seized the seventy people Moses had chosen for the appointment set by God. Moses was absorbed in a heartfelt supplication to his Lord to save them. We know from the accounts given in other sūrahs that these seventy people were resurrected and returned to their folk, full of faith. The sūrah picks up the thread of this story, but begins first by stating that not everyone among the Israelites was in error: “Yet among the folk of Moses there are some who guide (others) by means of the truth and act justly in its light.” (Verse 159)

This describes their situation at the time of Moses, and after him, which meant that there was among them a group who were keen to follow the truth and show its guidance and maintain justice. It was such people who received the Prophet Muhammad’s message with ready acceptance, since they were informed in the Torah of his forthcoming appearance. The most notable of these was `Abdullāh ibn Sallām (may God be pleased with him), a companion of the Prophet who stood up to the Jews in Madinah pointing out to them what the Torah says about the unlettered Prophet as well as the fact that Islamic law endorsed a number of Jewish laws.

The sūrah then resumes its account of the historical events: “We divided them into twelve tribes, each a community. And when his people asked Moses for water to drink, We inspired him: ‘Strike the rock with your staff’ Twelve springs gushed forth from it, and each tribe knew its drinking-place. We caused the clouds to draw their shadow over them and sent down for them manna and quails, [saying]: ‘Eat of the good things We have given you as sustenance.’ Yet they could do Us no wrong, but they certainly wronged themselves.” (Verse 160)

These are aspects of God’s care which continued to be extended to Moses and his people, even after they strayed away and worshipped the calf, then atoned for their error as God told them and He accepted their repentance. This also comes after they demanded to see God Himself and were stunned by the trembling, before God brought them back to life in answer to Moses’s prayers. God’s care is demonstrated here in organizing them into twelve communities, according to their ancestry. Each community traced their ancestry to one of the children of the Prophet Jacob, who was also known as Israel. They confirmed their allegiance on tribal lines: “We divided them into twelve tribes, each a community.” (Verse 160)

God’s care is also manifest in assigning a spring to each community so that none of them would try to take what belonged to others: “When his people asked Moses for water to drink, We inspired him: ‘Strike the rock with your staff’. Twelve springs gushed forth from it, and each tribe knew its drinking place.” (Verse 160)

Another aspect of God’s care was to send clouds to give them shade from the burning desert sun, and to bestow on them from on high manna, a kind of wild honey, and quails to provide them with food after their drink had been guaranteed: “We caused the clouds to draw their shadow over them and sent down for them manna and quails.” (Verse 160) A further aspect of God’s care was the fact that all these good things were made lawful to them, as nothing had been forbidden them yet in punishment for their disobedience: “Eat of the good things We have given you as sustenance.” (Verse 160)

God’s care is manifest in all that, but the Israelite nature continued to be rebellious, unwilling to keep to the path of guidance, as clearly appears from the final comment of this verse which mentions all these blessings that gave them water out of the rock, shade in the burning desert sun and wholesome, delicious food: “Yet they could do Us no wrong, but they certainly wronged themselves.” (Verse 160) Disobedience to God and straying away from His path were the manifestations of their wronging themselves. Such disobedience could cause God no harm, because God has no need of the Israelites or anyone else. Indeed, His kingdom is not affected at all even if they and all creatures were to unite in total disobedience to Him. Nor is His kingdom increased in any way, if all creatures were to continue to obey Him without fail. People simply wrong themselves by disobedience to God and straying away from His path.