وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَٰحِدٍ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ 61
Translations
And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions." [Moses] said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked." And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allāh [upon them]. That was because they [repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allāh and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were [habitually] transgressing.
Transliteration
Wa-idh qultum yā Mūsā lan nasbira alā ta'āmin wāhidin fa-ud'u lanā rabbaka yukhrij lanā mimmā tunbitu al-ardu min baqliha wa-qithā'ihā wa-fūmihā wa-'adasihā wa-baslihā. Qāla a-tastabdilūn alladhī huwa adnā bi-alladhī huwa khayrun. Ahbitū misran fa-inna lakum mā sa'altum. Wa-durribat 'alayhim al-dhillatu wa-al-maskanatu wa-bā'ū bi-ghadabin min Allāh. Dhālik bi-annahum kānū yakfurūn bi-āyāti Allāh wa-yaqtulūn al-nabiyyīn bi-ghayri al-haqq. Dhālik bi-mā 'assaw wa-kānū ya'tadūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah recounts how the Israelites complained to Prophet Mūsā about eating only manna and quails, demanding variety from the earth's produce such as vegetables, cucumbers, garlic, lentils, and onions. Mūsā rebuked them for preferring inferior earthly food to the superior divine provision, and Allah commanded them to descend to Egypt where they would obtain what they requested. The passage concludes by explaining their punishment—humiliation and wretchedness befell them—as a consequence of their rejection of Allah's signs and their slaying of the prophets, emphasizing the gravity of ingratitude and transgression.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a broader Medinan passage addressing the Children of Israel's historical disobedience and ingratitude. It serves as a reminder to the Muslim community about the consequences of rejecting divine guidance and the importance of appreciating Allah's blessings, contextualizing the discussion of the Israelites' covenant and repeated violations within Surah Al-Baqarah's broader themes of faith, obedience, and accountability.
Related Hadiths
The theme of ingratitude and its consequences is reflected in the hadith reported in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned: 'The worst among you are those who are ungrateful for blessings.' Additionally, the rejection of divine signs is referenced in Sahih Bukhari regarding the trials of the Israelites who witnessed miracles yet persisted in disbelief.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that dissatisfaction with Allah's provision and constant complaining for worldly luxuries reflects spiritual poverty and ingratitude, leading to divine displeasure. Muslims should cultivate contentment with their sustenance, recognize that spiritual blessings surpass material abundance, and learn from the historical example of those who lost divine favor through persistent disobedience and disrespect toward their prophets.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالُوا۟ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌۢ ۚ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلًا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
And they said, "Our hearts are wrapped." But, [in fact], Allāh has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is it that they believe.
أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُۥ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ لَهُۥ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَأَصَابَهُ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَلَهُۥ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَٱحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Would one of you like to have a garden of palm trees and grapevines underneath which rivers flow in which he has from every fruit? But he is afflicted with old age and has weak [i.e., immature] offspring, and it is hit by a whirlwind containing fire and is burned. Thus does Allāh make clear to you [His] verses that you might give thought.
وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَٰجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَٰضَوْا۟ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ مِنكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۗ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And when you divorce women and they have fulfilled their term, do not prevent them from remarrying their [former] husbands if they [i.e., all parties] agree among themselves on an acceptable basis. That is instructed to whoever of you believes in Allāh and the Last Day. That is better for you and purer, and Allāh knows and you know not.
قُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.