The Quran

Preface

وَلَقَد بَوَّأنا بَني إِسرائيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدقٍ وَرَزَقناهُم مِنَ الطَّيِّباتِ فَمَا اختَلَفوا حَتّىٰ جاءَهُمُ العِلمُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقضي بَينَهُم يَومَ القِيامَةِ فيما كانوا فيهِ يَختَلِفونَ

Yusuf Ali

We settled the Children of Israel in a beautiful¹ dwelling-place, and provided for them sustenance of the best: it was after knowledge had been granted to them, that they fell into schisms. Verily God will judge between them as to the schisms amongst them, on the Day of Judgment.

After many wanderings the Israelites were settled in the land of Canaan, described as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod. 3:8). They had a prosperous land; and they were supplied with spiritual sustenance by men sent to deliver God’s Message. They should have known better than to fall into disputes and schisms, but they did so. This was all the more inexcusable considering what bounties they had received from God. The schisms arose from selfish arrogance, and God will judge between them on the Day of Judgment, (Cf. 45:17).