The Quran

160

Preface

وَقَطَّعناهُمُ اثنَتَي عَشرَةَ أَسباطًا أُمَمًا ۚ وَأَوحَينا إِلىٰ موسىٰ إِذِ استَسقاهُ قَومُهُ أَنِ اضرِب بِعَصاكَ الحَجَرَ ۖ فَانبَجَسَت مِنهُ اثنَتا عَشرَةَ عَينًا ۖ قَد عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُناسٍ مَشرَبَهُم ۚ وَظَلَّلنا عَلَيهِمُ الغَمامَ وَأَنزَلنا عَلَيهِمُ المَنَّ وَالسَّلوىٰ ۖ كُلوا مِن طَيِّباتِ ما رَزَقناكُم ۚ وَما ظَلَمونا وَلٰكِن كانوا أَنفُسَهُم يَظلِمونَ

Yusuf Ali

We divided them into twelve tribes¹ or nations. We directed Moses by inspiration, when his (thirsty) people asked him for water: “Strike the rock with thy staff”: out of it there gushed forth twelve springs: Each group knew its own place for water. We gave them the shade of clouds, and sent down to them manna and quails, (saying): “Eat of the good things We have provided for you”: (but they rebelled); to Us they did no harm, but they harmed their own souls.²

We now come to some incidents in Jewish history, which have been referred to in 2:57-60. Here they have special reference to their bearing on the times when early Islam was preached. The Twelve Tribes and the parable drawn from them have been explained in n. 73 to 2:60.
Cf. 2:57 and n. 71, and 20:81.