وَالسَّلۡوٰی
Appears 3 times in Quran
Occurrences in Quran
Found 3 verses containing "وَالسَّلۡوٰی".
وَظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡکُمُ الۡغَمَامَ وَاَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَیۡکُمُ الۡمَنَّ وَالسَّلۡوٰی ۖ کُلُوۡا مِنۡ طَیِّبٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنٰکُمۡ ۖ وَمَا ظَلَمُوۡنَا وَلٰکِنۡ کَانُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ
7:161; 20:82.
7:161; 20:81.
مَنّ (Mann, 吗哪) 的意思是赏赐或礼物; 不经周折或困难所获得的任何东西; 蜂蜜或露水 (اَقْرَبْ)。吗哪在穆圣的一句话中也曾被提到: “松露也是一种吗哪” (布哈理)。也可参阅 (Lane) 的 “تَرَنْجَبِيْن” (Turanjabin) 条目。
سَلْوٰی (Salwa, 萨耳瓦) 是 (1) 像鹌鹑那样一种略带白色的鸟, 在阿拉伯半岛及其邻近国家的某些地区可以见到; (2) 凡是使人得到满足和快乐的东西; 蜜 (اَقْرَبْ, Aqrab)。吗哪和萨耳瓦的恩赐在 «古兰经» 中有三处提到 (本节及2:58与7:161), 而在这三处提及这一事实之后都有这样的命令: “吃我供应给你们的好东西吧。” 这表明提供给西奈半岛荒野中的古以色列人的食物是有益健康的、可口而美味的, 这种食物不只是一种而是包括好几种东西; 吗哪 (松露) 和鹌鹑构成其中的主要部分。见 («出埃及记»16:13-15)。
مَنّ کے معنے عربی زبان میں احسان کے ہوتے ہیں۔ پس جو چیز بفضلِ الٰہی مل جائے اس کو مَنّ کہتے ہیں۔ حدیث میں آتا ہے اَلْکَمْأَۃُ مِنَ الْمَنِّ یعنی کھمب بھی مَنّ میں سے ہے۔ اسی طرح ترنجبین کو بھی مَنَّ کہتے ہیں۔ اور سَلْوٰی کے معنے عربی زبان میں بٹیر کی قسم کے پرندوں کے ہیں۔ پس مطلب یہ ہے کہ ہم نے تمہارے لئے کثرت سے ترنجبین اور کھمبیں اس علاقہ میں پیدا کردیں اور بٹیرکی قسم کے جانور بھیج دئیے۔
7:161.
7:161; 20:81.
See Exodus, 40: 34-38.
Mann means a favour or gift; anything obtained without trouble or difficulty; honey or dew (Aqrab). The Manna has also been referred to in a saying of the Holy Prophet as: "The truffle is one of the things included in the Manna" (Bukhari). See also Lane under "Turanjabin."
Salwa is (1) a whitish bird resembling a quail and found in some parts of Arabia and the neighbouring countries; (2) whatever renders a person contented and happy; honey (Aqrab). The sending down of Manna and Salwa has been mentioned at three places in the Qur’an, in the present verse and in vv. 2:58 and 7:161, and at all these three places the fact has been followed by the injunction: 'Eat of the good things that We have provided for you.' This shows that whereas the food which was provided to the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai was wholesome, palatable and of good taste, it consisted not of one but of several things; Manna (truffle) and Salwa (quails) forming the major part of them. See Exodus, 16: 13-15.
7:161.
7:161; 20:81.
Important Words:
من (Manna). The infinitive من signifies bestowing favour on or doing good to. They say من علیه i.e. he bestowed a favour on him without his labouring for it. من means: (1) a favour; (2) anything obtained without trouble or difficulty; (3) honey-dew (Aqrab).
سلوی (Salwa) is derived from سلا. They say سلا عن الشیء i.e. he was satisfied with it سلاه عن الشیء means, he satisfied him with it; he removed his grief and worry through it. سلوی is (1) a whitish bird resembling a quail and found in some parts of Arabia and the neighbouring countries. It also means, (2) whatever renders a person contented and happy; (3) honey (Aqrab).
Commentary:
As the Israelites were camping in hot and open country, God speaks of the clouds having been sent to give them shade. We learn from Exod. 40:34-38, that clouds spread and shaded the spot where the Israelites encamped, and that they dispersed on the day when it was time for them to resume their journey. But the verse under comment shows that the clouds meant not only shadow but also rainfall because, firstly, it is rain-clouds that are generally dark and dense; and, secondly, along with the "clouds," the Quran also mentions two eatables, Manna and Salwa, which served as complement to the favour mentioned in the shadowing clouds. In fact, there was scarcity of both water and food in that arid country, and God used to quench their thirst by sending clouds, and satisfy their hunger by providing Manna and Salwa. And, no wonder, for God shows special favours to His servants in order to remove their difficulties and promote their comfort.
The sending down of Manna and Salwa has been mentioned in Exod. 16:11-15, where we read: "And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God. And it came to pass that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat."
When the children of Israel got no food in the wilderness and death stared them in the face, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron. They said to them: "Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Exod. 16:3). These murmurings of the Israelites were answered in the passage quoted above.
The Holy Prophet refers to the Manna bestowed on the Israelites in the following, hadith. Says he: "The mushroom is one of the things included in the Manna, and the sap of it heals the eye" (Bukhari). He is also reported to have said: "The mushroom is among the things which God bestowed upon Moses, as a free gift" (Muhit). This shows that God provided the Israelites with a number of things in the wilderness, sometimes with one thing and sometimes with another.
The verse does not mention how the Israelites "wronged themselves". But as God speaks here of the favours bestowed upon them, it is evident that they wronged themselves by showing ingratitude and by murmuring and complaining of their lot in spite of God’s special favours. By doing so, however, they did no harm to God or His Messenger, but only harmed their own souls.
a
7:161; 20:82.
c
7:161; 20:81.
55
مَنّ (Mann, 吗哪) 的意思是赏赐或礼物; 不经周折或困难所获得的任何东西; 蜂蜜或露水 (اَقْرَبْ)。吗哪在穆圣的一句话中也曾被提到: “松露也是一种吗哪” (布哈理)。也可参阅 (Lane) 的 “تَرَنْجَبِيْن” (Turanjabin) 条目。
56
سَلْوٰی (Salwa, 萨耳瓦) 是 (1) 像鹌鹑那样一种略带白色的鸟, 在阿拉伯半岛及其邻近国家的某些地区可以见到; (2) 凡是使人得到满足和快乐的东西; 蜜 (اَقْرَبْ, Aqrab)。吗哪和萨耳瓦的恩赐在 «古兰经» 中有三处提到 (本节及2:58与7:161), 而在这三处提及这一事实之后都有这样的命令: “吃我供应给你们的好东西吧。” 这表明提供给西奈半岛荒野中的古以色列人的食物是有益健康的、可口而美味的, 这种食物不只是一种而是包括好几种东西; 吗哪 (松露) 和鹌鹑构成其中的主要部分。见 («出埃及记»16:13-15)。
1
مَنّ کے معنے عربی زبان میں احسان کے ہوتے ہیں۔ پس جو چیز بفضلِ الٰہی مل جائے اس کو مَنّ کہتے ہیں۔ حدیث میں آتا ہے اَلْکَمْأَۃُ مِنَ الْمَنِّ یعنی کھمب بھی مَنّ میں سے ہے۔ اسی طرح ترنجبین کو بھی مَنَّ کہتے ہیں۔ اور سَلْوٰی کے معنے عربی زبان میں بٹیر کی قسم کے پرندوں کے ہیں۔ پس مطلب یہ ہے کہ ہم نے تمہارے لئے کثرت سے ترنجبین اور کھمبیں اس علاقہ میں پیدا کردیں اور بٹیرکی قسم کے جانور بھیج دئیے۔
a
7:161.
b
7:161; 20:81.
64
Important Words:
من (Manna). The infinitive من signifies bestowing favour on or doing good to. They say من علیه i.e. he bestowed a favour on him without his labouring for it. من means: (1) a favour; (2) anything obtained without trouble or difficulty; (3) honey-dew (Aqrab).
سلوی (Salwa) is derived from سلا. They say سلا عن الشیء i.e. he was satisfied with it سلاه عن الشیء means, he satisfied him with it; he removed his grief and worry through it. سلوی is (1) a whitish bird resembling a quail and found in some parts of Arabia and the neighbouring countries. It also means, (2) whatever renders a person contented and happy; (3) honey (Aqrab).
Commentary:
As the Israelites were camping in hot and open country, God speaks of the clouds having been sent to give them shade. We learn from Exod. 40:34-38, that clouds spread and shaded the spot where the Israelites encamped, and that they dispersed on the day when it was time for them to resume their journey. But the verse under comment shows that the clouds meant not only shadow but also rainfall because, firstly, it is rain-clouds that are generally dark and dense; and, secondly, along with the "clouds," the Quran also mentions two eatables, Manna and Salwa, which served as complement to the favour mentioned in the shadowing clouds. In fact, there was scarcity of both water and food in that arid country, and God used to quench their thirst by sending clouds, and satisfy their hunger by providing Manna and Salwa. And, no wonder, for God shows special favours to His servants in order to remove their difficulties and promote their comfort.
The sending down of Manna and Salwa has been mentioned in Exod. 16:11-15, where we read: "And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God. And it came to pass that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat."
When the children of Israel got no food in the wilderness and death stared them in the face, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron. They said to them: "Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Exod. 16:3). These murmurings of the Israelites were answered in the passage quoted above.
The Holy Prophet refers to the Manna bestowed on the Israelites in the following, hadith. Says he: "The mushroom is one of the things included in the Manna, and the sap of it heals the eye" (Bukhari). He is also reported to have said: "The mushroom is among the things which God bestowed upon Moses, as a free gift" (Muhit). This shows that God provided the Israelites with a number of things in the wilderness, sometimes with one thing and sometimes with another.
The verse does not mention how the Israelites "wronged themselves". But as God speaks here of the favours bestowed upon them, it is evident that they wronged themselves by showing ingratitude and by murmuring and complaining of their lot in spite of God’s special favours. By doing so, however, they did no harm to God or His Messenger, but only harmed their own souls.
a
7:161.
b
7:161; 20:81.
97
See Exodus, 40: 34-38.
98
Mann means a favour or gift; anything obtained without trouble or difficulty; honey or dew (Aqrab). The Manna has also been referred to in a saying of the Holy Prophet as: "The truffle is one of the things included in the Manna" (Bukhari). See also Lane under "Turanjabin."
99
Salwa is (1) a whitish bird resembling a quail and found in some parts of Arabia and the neighbouring countries; (2) whatever renders a person contented and happy; honey (Aqrab). The sending down of Manna and Salwa has been mentioned at three places in the Qur’an, in the present verse and in vv. 2:58 and 7:161, and at all these three places the fact has been followed by the injunction: 'Eat of the good things that We have provided for you.' This shows that whereas the food which was provided to the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai was wholesome, palatable and of good taste, it consisted not of one but of several things; Manna (truffle) and Salwa (quails) forming the major part of them. See Exodus, 16: 13-15.
وَقَطَّعۡنٰہُمُ اثۡنَتَیۡ عَشۡرَۃَ اَسۡبَاطًا اُمَمًا ۚ وَاَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلٰی مُوۡسٰۤی اِذِ اسۡتَسۡقٰٮہُ قَوۡمُہٗۤ اَنِ اضۡرِبۡ بِّعَصَاکَ الۡحَجَرَ ۖ فَانۡۢبَجَسَتۡ مِنۡہُ اثۡنَتَا عَشۡرَۃَ عَیۡنًا ۖ قَدۡ عَلِمَ کُلُّ اُنَاسٍ مَّشۡرَبَہُمۡ ۚ وَظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡغَمٰمَ وَاَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡمَنَّ وَالسَّلۡوٰی ۖ کُلُوۡا مِنۡ طَیِّبٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنٰکُمۡ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمُوۡنَا وَلٰکِنۡ کَانُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ
قرآن مجید میں حَجَر (یعنی پتھر) پر اَلْ آیا ہے اور اس کے معنے ’’فلاں‘‘ کے ہوتے ہیں۔ یعنی حکم یہ نہ تھا کہ کسی پتھر کو مار بلکہ یہ تھا کہ فلاں پتھر کے نیچے چشمہ ہے اسے سونٹا مار کر توڑ دو۔ پانی نکل آئے گا۔ میں نے کشمیر میں ایک چشمہ دیکھا جو پتھر کے نیچے سے آتا تھا اور اس میں سے چودہ چشمے بہتے تھے۔
5:13.
2:61.
2:58; 20:81.
See {101}.
They only wronged themselves and could not harm the cause of truth.
5:13.
2:61.
2:58; 20:81.
Commentary:
See notes on 2:58 & 61.
The words, And they wronged Us not, mean that they did not harm the cause of the religion revealed by God
d
5:13.
e
2:61.
f
2:58; 20:81.
524
他们只伤害了他们自己而不能伤害真理的事业。
1
قرآن مجید میں حَجَر (یعنی پتھر) پر اَلْ آیا ہے اور اس کے معنے ’’فلاں‘‘ کے ہوتے ہیں۔ یعنی حکم یہ نہ تھا کہ کسی پتھر کو مار بلکہ یہ تھا کہ فلاں پتھر کے نیچے چشمہ ہے اسے سونٹا مار کر توڑ دو۔ پانی نکل آئے گا۔ میں نے کشمیر میں ایک چشمہ دیکھا جو پتھر کے نیچے سے آتا تھا اور اس میں سے چودہ چشمے بہتے تھے۔
a
5:13.
b
2:61.
c
2:58; 20:81.
1050
Commentary:
See notes on 2:58 & 61.
The words, And they wronged Us not, mean that they did not harm the cause of the religion revealed by God
b
5:13.
c
2:61.
d
2:58; 20:81.
1061A
See {101}.
1062
They only wronged themselves and could not harm the cause of truth.
یٰبَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرٰٓءِیۡلَ قَدۡ اَنۡجَیۡنٰکُمۡ مِّنۡ عَدُوِّکُمۡ وَوٰعَدۡنٰکُمۡ جَانِبَ الطُّوۡرِ الۡاَیۡمَنَ وَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡکُمُ الۡمَنَّ وَالسَّلۡوٰی
بالمقابل وعدہ یہ تھا کہ بنی اسرائیل اگر تورات کے احکام پر قائم رہیں گے تو خداتعالیٰ ان کو برکت دے گا۔ مگر بنی اسرائیل کے دوسرے حصہ یعنی مسیحیوں نے ان احکام میں سے سبت کو چھوڑ دیا۔ جیسا کہ خود مسیحی علماء کا اقرار ہے یعنی ایک رومی بادشاہ کے کہنے کے مطابق ہفتہ کو جو سبت کا دن تھا۔ بدل کر اتوار کو سبت قرار دے دیا۔ اور یہودنے ان کے بالمقال وعدوں کو اس طرح توڑا کہ اوّل عزرا نبی کو خدا قرار دیا۔ دوم عام آدمی تو الگ رہے۔ باربار محمد رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کو جو موعودنبی تھے قتل کرنے کی کوشش کی اور آپ سے پہلے حضرت عیسیٰ علیہ السلام کو قتل کرنے کی کوشش کی۔
19:53; 20:13; 28:31; 79:17.
2:51; 14:7; 44:31, 32.
The Israelites had lived long in bondage under the heartless tyranny of the Pharaohs and consequently had come to lose all those manly qualities that go to make a people hardy, brave and courageous. According to the Divine scheme of things, they were destined to conquer and rule over Canaan. Therefore, after Moses had taken them out of Egypt, they were made to live in the arid and barren region of Sinai in order that they might become used to an open and hard life and thus acquire and develop those qualities which were so essential for a great future that lay in store for them. But having lived in bondage for a long time, they had lost all initiative and had become used to a life of lethargy and lassitude. So when they saw that they would have to live in the wilderness where no amenities of life were to be found and even food was lacking, they were utterly dismayed and fretted and fumed and quarrelled with Moses saying, 'Would to God, we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by
2:51; 14:7; 44:31-32.
19:53; 20:13; 28:31; 79:17.
Important Words:
المن (manna). They say من علیه i.e. he bestowed a favour on him. من which is infinitive noun signifies bestowing favour upon a man or doing good to him. المن means, (1) anything which comes to a man without much effort on his part; (2) a favour; (3) honeydew (Aqrab). Dr. Jesenius in his dictionary has also referred to المن as having been fromمن (manna) and means, a favour or bounty. See also 2:58.
السلوی is derived from سلا. They say سلا عن الشیء i.e. he was satiated with the thing. سلوی is (1) a whitish bird resembling a quail; (2) anything which gives a man satisfaction or contentment, (3) honey (Aqrab). See also 2:58.
Commentary:
The Israelites had lived long in bondage under the heartless tyranny of the Pharaohs and consequently had come to lose all those manly qualities that go to make a people hardy, brave and courageous. According to the divine scheme of things they were destined to conquer and rule over Canaan. Therefore after Moses had taken them out of Egypt they were made to live in the arid and barren region of Sinai in order that they might become used to a free and hard life and thus acquire and develop those qualities which were so essential for a great future that lay in store for them. But having lived in bondage for a long time they had lost all initiative and had become used to a life of lethargy and lassitude. So when they saw that they would have to live in the wilderness where no amenities of life were to be found and even food was lacking, they were utterly dismayed and fretted and fumed and quarrelled with Moses saying: "Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Exod. 16:3). God heard the murmurings of the Israelites and commanded Moses to tell those ungrateful people: "At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God" (Exod. 16:12). And how this Divine promise was fulfilled has been described in the Bible as follows:
And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, it is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. (Exod. 16:13-15).
This was the food which in answer to the murmurings of the Israelites God, out of His infinite grace and mercy, bestowed upon them in the wilderness of Sinai and which they were given without much effort or labour on their part, and which was found when stark hunger seemed to stare them in the face, and the fact of its having been found in that place and condition did, indeed, constitute a great miracle. It is to this incident that reference has been made in the verse under comment.
The manna has also been referred to in a saying of the Holy Prophet, viz. الکمأة من المن i.e. the truffle is one of the things included in the manna (Bukhari). In Lane’s Lexicon we have the following explanation for manna under the word ترنجبین (turanjabin): A kind of manna: the manna of the thorny plants called by the Arabs the haj, and hence by European botanists Alhagi; according to Dr. Boyle it is a sweetish juice which exudes from the Alhagi maurorum, crystallizes into small granular masses, and is usually distinguished by the name of Persian manna; a kind of dew that falls mostly in Khurasan and Mawara an-Nahr and in our country, mostly upon the haj; the best thereof is that which is fresh or moist and white (Ibn Sina), the من or manna mentioned in the Quran (p.306).
d
2:51; 14:7; 44:31, 32.
e
19:53; 20:13; 28:31; 79:17.
1
بالمقابل وعدہ یہ تھا کہ بنی اسرائیل اگر تورات کے احکام پر قائم رہیں گے تو خداتعالیٰ ان کو برکت دے گا۔ مگر بنی اسرائیل کے دوسرے حصہ یعنی مسیحیوں نے ان احکام میں سے سبت کو چھوڑ دیا۔ جیسا کہ خود مسیحی علماء کا اقرار ہے یعنی ایک رومی بادشاہ کے کہنے کے مطابق ہفتہ کو جو سبت کا دن تھا۔ بدل کر اتوار کو سبت قرار دے دیا۔ اور یہودنے ان کے بالمقال وعدوں کو اس طرح توڑا کہ اوّل عزرا نبی کو خدا قرار دیا۔ دوم عام آدمی تو الگ رہے۔ باربار محمد رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کو جو موعودنبی تھے قتل کرنے کی کوشش کی اور آپ سے پہلے حضرت عیسیٰ علیہ السلام کو قتل کرنے کی کوشش کی۔
a
2:51; 14:7; 44:31-32.
b
19:53; 20:13; 28:31; 79:17.
2295
Important Words:
المن (manna). They say من علیه i.e. he bestowed a favour on him. من which is infinitive noun signifies bestowing favour upon a man or doing good to him. المن means, (1) anything which comes to a man without much effort on his part; (2) a favour; (3) honeydew (Aqrab). Dr. Jesenius in his dictionary has also referred to المن as having been fromمن (manna) and means, a favour or bounty. See also 2:58.
السلوی is derived from سلا. They say سلا عن الشیء i.e. he was satiated with the thing. سلوی is (1) a whitish bird resembling a quail; (2) anything which gives a man satisfaction or contentment, (3) honey (Aqrab). See also 2:58.
Commentary:
The Israelites had lived long in bondage under the heartless tyranny of the Pharaohs and consequently had come to lose all those manly qualities that go to make a people hardy, brave and courageous. According to the divine scheme of things they were destined to conquer and rule over Canaan. Therefore after Moses had taken them out of Egypt they were made to live in the arid and barren region of Sinai in order that they might become used to a free and hard life and thus acquire and develop those qualities which were so essential for a great future that lay in store for them. But having lived in bondage for a long time they had lost all initiative and had become used to a life of lethargy and lassitude. So when they saw that they would have to live in the wilderness where no amenities of life were to be found and even food was lacking, they were utterly dismayed and fretted and fumed and quarrelled with Moses saying: "Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Exod. 16:3). God heard the murmurings of the Israelites and commanded Moses to tell those ungrateful people: "At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God" (Exod. 16:12). And how this Divine promise was fulfilled has been described in the Bible as follows:
And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, it is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. (Exod. 16:13-15).
This was the food which in answer to the murmurings of the Israelites God, out of His infinite grace and mercy, bestowed upon them in the wilderness of Sinai and which they were given without much effort or labour on their part, and which was found when stark hunger seemed to stare them in the face, and the fact of its having been found in that place and condition did, indeed, constitute a great miracle. It is to this incident that reference has been made in the verse under comment.
The manna has also been referred to in a saying of the Holy Prophet, viz. الکمأة من المن i.e. the truffle is one of the things included in the manna (Bukhari). In Lane’s Lexicon we have the following explanation for manna under the word ترنجبین (turanjabin): A kind of manna: the manna of the thorny plants called by the Arabs the haj, and hence by European botanists Alhagi; according to Dr. Boyle it is a sweetish juice which exudes from the Alhagi maurorum, crystallizes into small granular masses, and is usually distinguished by the name of Persian manna; a kind of dew that falls mostly in Khurasan and Mawara an-Nahr and in our country, mostly upon the haj; the best thereof is that which is fresh or moist and white (Ibn Sina), the من or manna mentioned in the Quran (p.306).
a
19:53; 20:13; 28:31; 79:17.
b
2:51; 14:7; 44:31, 32.
1839
The Israelites had lived long in bondage under the heartless tyranny of the Pharaohs and consequently had come to lose all those manly qualities that go to make a people hardy, brave and courageous. According to the Divine scheme of things, they were destined to conquer and rule over Canaan. Therefore, after Moses had taken them out of Egypt, they were made to live in the arid and barren region of Sinai in order that they might become used to an open and hard life and thus acquire and develop those qualities which were so essential for a great future that lay in store for them. But having lived in bondage for a long time, they had lost all initiative and had become used to a life of lethargy and lassitude. So when they saw that they would have to live in the wilderness where no amenities of life were to be found and even food was lacking, they were utterly dismayed and fretted and fumed and quarrelled with Moses saying, 'Would to God, we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by