Shafaqna English- Commentary on the 2nd Chapter of the Holy Quran by Mohammad Sobhanie.
وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿٥٧﴾
2:57 We shaded you with clouds and sent down to you manna and salwa (saying): ‘Eat of the good things We have provided for you.’ And they did not wrong Us, but they used to wrong (only) themselves.
2:57 Raising a New Generation
Commentary: After Prophet Musa (AS) received the tablets of the law, Allah (SWT) directed the Children of Israel to depart from the Sinai Peninsula to the Holy Land [Arabic: (الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ)][1]. At that time, the Amalekites lived in that region. They were a strong nation and the Israelites could not claim the land without fighting them.
A lack of conviction in Prophet Musa (AS) and cowardice in facing the Amalekites dissuaded the Children of Israel from entering the land. Two Israelite chiefs, Yusha-Ibn-Nun (Joshua) and Kalib-Ibn-Youfna (Caleb)[2], promised victory over the Amalekites upon their entering[3]. Nevertheless, the Israelites’ stance remained the same, saying[4]:
… يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّا لَن نَّدْخُلَهَا أَبَدًا مَّا دَامُوا فِيهَا فَاذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾
5:24 …”O Musa, we will never enter it so long as they (the Amalekites) remain in it. Go ahead, you and your Lord, and fight! We will be sitting right here.”
When Prophet Musa (AS) heard that the Israelites were firm in defying the Lord, he took his grievances to Allah (SWT) and said[5]:
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ ﴿٢٥﴾
5:25 (Musa) said, “My Lord, indeed I do not possess except myself and my brother, so separate us from the defiantly disobedient people.”
Henceforth, Allah (SWT) condemned the Israelites to rove in the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula for 40 years.
A group of Israelites felt remorse and regretted their decision. In repentance, they turned to the Lord and implored His forgiveness, and God returned to them in mercy. This event was another instance of God’s mercy towards the Israelites despite their initial defiance.
Verse 2:57 mentions two vital blessings that Allah (SWT) bestowed to the Children of Israel in the wilderness. The first one was a canopy of light cloud that protected them from the blistering heat of the sun and the second one was their food and nutrition in the forms of “Al-manna” and “al-Salwa” [Arabic: (الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ)]. A third one, which was fountains of gushing water, is mentioned in verse 60 of this chapter:
وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ … ﴿٥٧﴾
2:57 We shaded you with clouds (to protect you from the heat of the sun) and sent down to you manna and salwa.
In the end, one can see how Allah (SWT) wished for the Children of Israel to enjoy the good provisions which He had provided them.
… كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ … ﴿٥٧﴾
2:57 …(saying): ‘Eat of the good things We have provided for you’…
The verse draws a general conclusion that Allah (SWT) is sovereign and humankind’s defiance does not harm Him. Instead, man will suffer the consequences of his own wrongdoings:
… وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿٥٧﴾
2:57 And they (the Children of Israel) did not wrong Us, but they used to wrong (only) themselves.
Points to Ponder: The Children of Israel who came out of Egypt were raised in slavery and servitude. They were weak and did not have the courage and conviction to stand for their rights. Within 40 years of roaming in the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula, Prophet Musa (AS) and Harun (AS) raised a new generation that was determined to overcome their adversaries.
From this perspective, roving in the wilderness was not a punitive punishment. Instead, it was an opportunity to raise a new generation that sought itself to be free from slavery.
In his letter to his son Imam Hassan (AS), Imam Ali (AS) wrote[6]:
وَ لَا تَكُنْ عَبْدَ غَيْرِكَ وَ قَدْ جَعَلَكَ اللَّهُ حُرّاً
Do not be the slave of another man since Allah (SWT) created you free.
The Holy Land: The departure of the Israelites from the Sinai Peninsula is explicitly mentioned in chapter Al-Maida, verse 21:
يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ
O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has ordained for you,
The Holy Land (الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ) is roughly equivalent to today’s Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. Jerusalem is a part of the Holy Land built during the time of Sulaiman (AS).
Word-for-Word Translation:
2:57 [وَظَلَّلْنَا] And we shaded [عَلَيْكُمُ] over you [الْغَمَامَ] with the light cloud [وَأَنزَلْنَا] and we sent down [عَلَيْكُمُ] to you [الْمَنَّ] the Al-Manna [وَالسَّلْوَىٰ] and the Al-salwa. [كُلُوا] Eat [مِن] from [طَيِّبَاتِ] the good things [مَا] that [رَزَقْنَاكُمْ] we have provided you. [وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا] And they not wrong US [وَلَـٰكِن] but [كَانُوا] they were [أَنفُسَهُمْ] to themselves [يَظْلِمُونَ] doing wrong.
Appendix: The word “anzalna” [Arabic: (أَنزَلْنَا)] means to send down, as well as hospitality. For instance, in chapter 56:9, one reads (فَنُزُلٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ), which states that people are treated with boiling water in Hell. Similarly, in chapter 3:198, one reads (خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلًا مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّـهِ), which states that believers remain forever in the garden as guests of Allah (SWT). Within this context, the term (وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ) implies that Allah (SWT) entertained the Israelites with “Al-manna” and “al-Salwa[7]”.
Commentators differ on interpretations of “Al-manna” [Arabic: (الْمَنَّ)] and “al-Salwa” [Arabic: (السَّلْوَىٰ)]. Al-manna could be a type of natural honey or sweet found at the Sinai Peninsula, and al-Salwa could be a type of small bird the size of a pigeon[8].
Arabic words [الْغَمَامَ] and [السَّحَابِ] means cloud. However, [الْغَمَامَ] is a light white cloud, whereas [السَّحَابِ] is a heavy dark cloud[9].
Note:
[1]. Tafseer-e- Namonah Vol.1 Page 260, L. 13.
[2]. Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.4, P.340, L.21.
[3]. Al-Ma’ida 5:23.
[4]. Al-Ma’ida 5:24.
[5]. Al-Ma’ida 5:25.
[6]. Nahjul Balagha, letter 31.
[7]. Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.1, P.265, L.14.
[8]. Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol. 1, P.263, L. 17.
[9]. Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.1, P.265, L.18.
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