Quran Universe
7:160

وَقَطَّعۡنَٰهُمُ ٱثۡنَتَيۡ عَشۡرَةَ أَسۡبَاطًا أُمَمٗاۚ وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰهُ قَوۡمُهُۥٓ أَنِ ٱضۡرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلۡحَجَرَۖ فَٱنۢبَجَسَتۡ مِنۡهُ ٱثۡنَتَا عَشۡرَةَ عَيۡنٗاۖ قَدۡ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٖ مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۚ وَظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡغَمَٰمَ وَأَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَنَّ وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰۖ كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَٰكُمۡۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ

WaqattaAAnahumu ithnatay AAashrata asbatan omaman waawhayna ila moosa ithi istasqahu qawmuhu ani idrib biAAasaka alhajara fainbajasat minhu ithnata AAashrata AAaynan qad AAalima kullu onasin mashrabahum wathallalna AAalayhimu alghamama waanzalna AAalayhimu almanna waalssalwa kuloo min tayyibati ma razaqnakum wama thalamoona walakin kanoo anfusahum yathlimoona

And We divided them into twelve descendant tribes [as distinct] nations. And We inspired to Moses when his people implored him for water, "Strike with your staff the stone," and there gushed forth from it twelve springs. Every people knew its watering place. And We shaded them with clouds and sent down upon them manna and quails, [saying], "Eat from the good things with which We have provided you." And they wronged Us not, but they were [only] wronging themselves.

Word by word
  1. وَقَطَّعۡنَٰهُمُAnd We divided them
  2. ٱثۡنَتَيۡ(into) two
  3. عَشۡرَةَ(and) ten [i.e. twelve]
  4. أَسۡبَاطًاtribes
  5. أُمَمٗاۚ(as) communities
  6. وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآAnd We inspired
  7. إِلَىٰto
  8. مُوسَىٰٓMusa
  9. إِذِwhen
  10. ٱسۡتَسۡقَىٰهُasked him for water
  11. قَوۡمُهُۥٓhis people
  12. أَنِ[that]
  13. ٱضۡرِبStrike
  14. بِّعَصَاكَwith your staff
  15. ٱلۡحَجَرَۖthe stone
  16. فَٱنۢبَجَسَتۡThen gushed forth
  17. مِنۡهُfrom it
  18. ٱثۡنَتَاtwo
  19. عَشۡرَةَ(and) ten [i.e. twelve]
  20. عَيۡنٗاۖsprings
  21. قَدۡCertainly
  22. عَلِمَknew
  23. كُلُّeach
  24. أُنَاسٖpeople
  25. مَّشۡرَبَهُمۡۚtheir drinking place
  26. وَظَلَّلۡنَاAnd We shaded
  27. عَلَيۡهِمُ[on] them
  28. ٱلۡغَمَٰمَ(with) the clouds
  29. وَأَنزَلۡنَاand We sent down
  30. عَلَيۡهِمُupon them
  31. ٱلۡمَنَّthe manna
  32. وَٱلسَّلۡوَىٰۖand the quails
  33. كُلُواْEat
  34. مِنfrom
  35. طَيِّبَٰتِ(the) good things
  36. مَاwhich
  37. رَزَقۡنَٰكُمۡۚWe have provided you
  38. وَمَاAnd not
  39. ظَلَمُونَاthey wronged Us
  40. وَلَٰكِنbut
  41. كَانُوٓاْthey were
  42. أَنفُسَهُمۡ(to) themselves
  43. يَظۡلِمُونَdoing wrong
Al-A'raf · 7:160Makkah

Twelve springs from one rock, and shade, and food.

Every need provided, and still they wronged themselves

What was given in the desert
12springs, one per tribe
cloudsshade from the sun
manna and quailseat from the good
yet
self-harmthey wronged only themselves
Who is hurt by sin
Allahas if He loses something
myselfthe only one harmed

Allah divided the Children of Israel into twelve tribes. When they asked for water, Musa struck a rock and twelve springs burst out, each group knowing its own place. Clouds shaded them and manna and quails fed them. The verse closes: they did not wrong Us, they wronged themselves.

You have running water, a fridge with food, a roof when it rains. Then you skip prayer, snap at your mother, scroll past midnight. None of it harms Allah. It only takes from the person you could have been.

When I disobey, I am pushing against Allah.

Allah gave me everything, and my sins only hurt me.

Try this

Drink your next glass of water slowly and say bismillah and alhamdulillah for it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And We divided them into twelve tribes (as distinct) nations. We revealed to Musa when his people asked him for water (saying): "Strike the stone with your stick," and there gushed forth out of it twelve springs, each group knew its own place for water. We shaded them with the clouds and sent down upon them the manna and the quail (saying): "Eat of the good things with which We have provided you." They harmed Us not but they used to harm themselves (160)And (remember) when it was said to them: "Dwell in this town (Jerusalem) and eat therefrom wherever you wish, and say, '(O Allah) forgive our sins'; and enter the gate prostrating (bowing with humility). We shall forgive you your wrongdoings. We shall increase (the reward) for the good-doers. (161)But those among them who did wrong, changed the word that had been told to them. So We sent on them a torment from the heaven in return for their wrongdoings (162)

We discussed these Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah, which was revealed in Al-Madinah, while these Ayat were revealed in Makkah. We also mentioned the difference between the two narrations, and thus we do not need to repeat it here, all thanks are due to Allah and all the favors are from Him.