Surah 7

Surah 7:161

"(Remember) when it was said to them, ‘Inhabit this town and eat of it wherever you please, and say: “Ḥiṭṭa,” and enter the gate in prostration. We shall forgive you your sins and increase the doers of good.’"
Tafsir Ibn Kathir Verses 7:160-162
Show Full Scripture Context (7:160-162) — 3 Verses
Verse 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

We divided them (into) twelve tribes as communities, and We inspired Moses, when his people asked him for water: ‘Strike the rock with your staff,’ and (there) gushed forth from it twelve springs – each tribe knew its drinking place – and We overshadowed them (with) the cloud, and We sent down on them the manna and the quails: ‘Eat from the good things which We have provided you.’ They did not do Us evil, but they did themselves evil.

Verse 161

وَإِذۡ قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسۡكُنُواْ هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةَ وَكُلُواْ مِنۡهَا حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمۡ وَقُولُواْ حِطَّةٞ وَٱدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡبَابَ سُجَّدٗا نَّغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ خَطِيٓـَٰٔتِكُمۡۚ سَنَزِيدُ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

(Remember) when it was said to them, ‘Inhabit this town and eat of it wherever you please, and say: “Ḥiṭṭa,” and enter the gate in prostration. We shall forgive you your sins and increase the doers of good.’

Verse 162

فَبَدَّلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ قَوۡلًا غَيۡرَ ٱلَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمۡ فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ رِجۡزٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَظۡلِمُونَ

But those of them who did evil exchanged a word other than that which had been spoken to them. So We sent down on them wrath from the sky, because of the evil they were doing.

Quoted Scripture
"160. 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."

"161. 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 . ""

"162. 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."

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.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 4)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.