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
أَوَكُلَّمَا عَـٰهَدُوا۟ عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُۥ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Is it not [true] that every time they took a covenant a party of them threw it away? But, [in fact], most of them do not believe.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ يَرَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ إِذْ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْعَذَابَ أَنَّ ٱلْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعَذَابِ
And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allāh as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allāh. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allāh. And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allāh and that Allāh is severe in punishment.
فَأَزَلَّهُمَا ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ وَقُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَـٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been. And We said, "Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time."
فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُۥدُ جَالُوتَ وَءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُلْكَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُۥ مِمَّا يَشَآءُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّفَسَدَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
So they defeated them by permission of Allāh, and David killed Goliath, and Allāh gave him the kingship and wisdom [i.e., prophethood] and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allāh checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allāh is the possessor of bounty for the worlds.