Say, "0 people, I am a messenger of Allah (sent) to you from the One to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no god but He. He gives life and brings death. So, believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Ummi (unlettered) prophet, believes in Allahe the right His words

and among the community of Musa there are people who guide with truth and do justice thereby.

And We divided them into twelve tribes, as separate communities. And we revealed to Musa when his people asked him for water, "Strike the rock with your staff." Then twelve springs gushed forth from it. Each tribe came to know their drinking place. And We shaded them with the shadow of the clouds. And we sent down to them the 'Mann' and the 'Salwa' (1) (saying), "Eat of the good things we have provided you." And they did us no harm, rather they have been harming their own selves. (1) Manna which is "Man-hu' in Hebrew has been described in Exodus (14:14) in these words, "a small round thing, as small as a hoar frost on the ground". According to ` Abdullah Yusuf All, it usually rotted if left over till next day; it melted in the hot sun. The amount necessary for each man was about an omer, a Hebrew measure of capacity equal to 2-1/2 quarts. This is the Hebrew account probably distorted by traditional exaggeration. The actual Manna found to this day in the region of Sinai is gummy saccharine found on a species of Tamarisk. As to 'Salwa' it is a quail, large flights of them are driven by winds in the Eastern Mediterranean in certain seasons of the year, as was witnessed during the Great War 1914-1918 by many Indian officers who campaigned between Egypt and Palestine. (The Holy Qur'an by Yusuf All vol. 1 ) -- Translator.

] And when it was said to them, "live in this town and eat there from anywhere you like, and say, 'Hittah' (we seek forgiveness) and enter the gate prostrating, so that We forgive your errors. We shall give much more to those good-in-deeds."

But those of them who were unjust substituted another word for the one that was said to them. So, We sent down upon them a scourge from the heavens, because they have been transgressing.

And ask them about the town which was situated by the sea, when they used to transgress in the matter of Sabbath, when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath, and did not come when they did not have Sabbath. In this way, We put them to a test, because they used to act sinfully.

And when a group of them said, "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is going to destroy or punish with a severe punishment? They said, "To absolve ourselves before your Lord, and in order that they may fear Allah."

So when they forgot the advice they were given, We saved those who used to forbid evil and seized those who transgressed, with a bitter punishment, because they had been disobeying.

So, when they persisted in doing what they were forbidden from, We said to them, "become apes, humiliated."

And When your Lord declared that He would surely keep sending, till the Day of Doom, those who inflict on them evil punishment. Certainly, your Lord is swift in punishing, and certainly He is the Most-forgiving, Very Merciful.