Al-A'raf: (160) And We divided them into twelve...

Know that the purpose of this verse is to explain two types of conditions concerning the Children of Israel:

1. Their Division: That Allah made them into twelve tribes (asbāṭ). This has been previously mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah.
   • Alternatively, it means Allah divided the Children of Israel into twelve groups (firqan), because they originated from the twelve sons of Jacob. He distinguished them and did this to prevent mutual envy, which would lead to chaos (al-harj wa al-maraj).
   • The phrase {وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ} (And We divided them) means We made them into sections (quṭaʿan), i.e., groups, and distinguished some from others.
   • It was also read as {وَقُطِّعْنَاهُمْ} (with takhfīf [lightening] of the ṭā’).

Here, there are two questions:

First Question: Why is the number beyond ten mentioned in the singular form (feminine ithnatā ‘ashrata), instead of saying "twelve tribes" (ithnā ‘ashara asbāṭan)?

Answer: The intended meaning is: "And We divided them into twelve tribes (qabā’il), and every tribe had sub-tribes (asbāṭ)." Thus, the word asbāṭan was used in place of qabīlah.

Second Question: Why did He say {اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا} (twelve tribes) when sibṭ (tribe/offspring) is masculine, not feminine?

Answer:

• Al-Farrā’ said this was done because Allah mentioned {أُمَمًا} (nations) afterward, so the feminine agreement referred to the umam.
• He added that saying "twelve" (masculine) would also have been permissible because sibṭ is masculine.
• Al-Zajjāj said the meaning is: "And We divided them into twelve groups (firqatan), [which are] {أَسْبَاطًا}." Thus, {أَسْبَاطًا} is an adjective (na‘t) for an omitted noun, which is al-firqah (the group).
• Abu ‘Ali al-Fārisī stated that {أَسْبَاطًا} is not a specification (tamyīz) but rather an apposition (badal) for the number "twelve."

As for the phrase {أُمَمًا}:

• The author of Al-Kashshāf said it is an apposition (badal) for "twelve," meaning: "And We divided them into nations (umam)," because every sibṭ was a great nation and a dense multitude, and each one followed a different path than the others, rarely agreeing.
• It was also read as {اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ} (with a kasrah on the shīn).

2. The Request for Water: The second type of condition explained is His saying: {وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى إِذِ اسْتَسْقَاهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ} (And We inspired to Moses, when his people asked him for water, "Strike with your staff the rock..."). This story was also mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah.
   • Al-Hasan said: "It was nothing but a rock that confronted him, or a staff he took."
   • Know that during their wandering in the wilderness (al-Tīh), they sometimes needed water to drink. Allah commanded Moses (peace be upon him) to strike the rock with his staff. They would take from it only the amount they needed.

Regarding {فَانْبَجَسَتْ} (and it gushed forth):

• Al-Wāḥidī said: Inbajasa means the water burst forth (infijār). It is said: bajasa al-mā’ yabjusu, inbajasa, and tabajjas when it springs forth—this is the view of the linguists.
• He added that inbijās and infijār are synonymous. Based on this, there is no contradiction between the inbijās mentioned here and the infijār mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah.
• Others said: Inbijās is the water coming out sparingly, while infijār is it coming out abundantly. The way to reconcile these is that the water began to emerge little by little, then became plentiful. This distinction is narrated from Abu ‘Amr ibn al-‘Alā’.

After mentioning how He provided them with water, Allah mentioned three other favors:

1. He shaded them with clouds.
2. He sent down the Manna and the Quail.

There is no doubt that the sum of these conditions is a great blessing from Allah, as He facilitated their food and drink in the best manner and protected them from the harm of the sun.

Then He said: {كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ} (Eat of the good things which We have provided for you). This means restraining themselves to that food and leaving other things.

Then Allah said: {وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا} (And they did not wrong Us). There is an omission here, as this statement is appropriate only if they transgressed what Allah commanded them. This transgression could be:

1. Storing provisions when Allah forbade them from doing so.
2. Eating at a time when Allah forbade them.
3. Asking for something else when Allah had forbidden it.

It is known that when a responsible person commits a forbidden act, he wrongs only himself. Therefore, Allah described them as such, pointing out: {وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ} (And they did not wrong Us, but they were wronging themselves). This is because when a person commits a sin, he harms no one but himself, as he strives to make himself deserving of severe punishment.

{وَإِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْكُنُوا هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ وَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِيئَاتِكُمْ سَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ * فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَظْلِمُونَ}

(And [recall] when it was said to them, "Dwell in this town and eat from it wherever you will and say, 'Hittah,' and enter the gate in prostration, and We will forgive you your mistakes. We will increase the doers of good." But the wrongdoers among them changed the word to something other than that which had been said to them, so We sent upon them a plague from the sky because of the wrong they were doing.)