Overview (Verses 58 - 60)

Inviting God’s Punishment

The sūrah reminds the Children of Israel of more of their acts of intransigence and heartless behaviour: “And [remember] when We said, ‘Enter this city, eat of its abundant food as you may desire, prostrate yourselves as you enter the gates and say: “Lord, relieve us of our burden.” We will then forgive your sins and We will richly reward those who do good.’ But the wrongdoers among them substituted other words for those which they had been given. Therefore We let loose against them a scourge from heaven in requital for their transgression.” (Verses 58-59)

Some reports indicate that the city referred to here is Jerusalem, the holy city which, not long after the Jewish exodus from Egypt, God commanded the Israelites to enter, driving out its inhabitants who were a race of giants. They refused and asked Moses to do that by himself while they waited outside the city. This episode is discussed fully in verses 20-26 of Sūrah 5, where, in an attitude of unmatched insolence, they say to Moses: “Mighty people dwell in that land, and we will surely not enter it unless they depart from it. If they do depart, then we will enter.” (5: 22) “Moses, we will never go in so long as they are in it. Go forth, then, you and your Lord, and fight. We shall stay here.” (5: 24)

As punishment they were lost for forty years in the wilderness of the Sinai desert, until a new generation had grown up who, led by the Prophet Joshua, son of Nūn, conquered the city. However, instead of entering Jerusalem, prostrating themselves in humility, and praying God to remove their burden of sin and forgive them, they took a totally different attitude and said different words.

Although these events occurred at a time much later than the one described at the beginning of this section of the sūrah, it can be seen clearly that, throughout their history, the Children of Israel displayed the same characteristics of insolence, rebellion, and stubborn deviation.

The Qur’ān was relating to the Jews of Madinah events and episodes of their history well known to them, reminding them of the victory God granted to their forefathers, God’s help in bringing them to the holy city of Jerusalem, and their ingratitude and disobedience towards God. “But the wrongdoers among them substituted other words for those which they had been given. Therefore, We let loose on them a scourge from heaven in requital for their transgression.” (Verse 59)

‘Wrongdoers’, as used in this verse, could be a reference to a small group among the Israelites or to the whole community, depending on who perpetrated the misdemeanours and rebelled against God and Moses.

In addition to the above, God had also blessed the Israelites while they were in the wilderness by providing them with water. The Qur’ān reminds the Jews of Madinah of this also, and of their forefathers’ response to it. “And [remember] when Moses prayed for water for his people We said to him, Strike the rock with your staff’ Twelve springs gushed forth from it. Each tribe knew their drinking place. Eat and drink of what God has provided and do not persistently spread corruption in the land” (Verse 60)

The Israelites descended from twelve tribes who went back to the twelve sons of Jacob, or Israel, father of the Jews. When they needed water in the desert, they asked Moses to provide it for them, and he turned to God for help. God answered his prayers, and asked Moses to strike a rock with his stick, whereupon twelve springs, one for each tribe, spurted out with enough water for all their needs. They were given all this by God’s grace, but they were also warned against spreading corruption: “Eat and drink of what God has provided for you and do not persistently spread corruption in the land” (Verse 60)