7-158 Say: O mankind, surely I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, of Him, Whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no god but He; He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Ummi Prophet who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided aright.a
قُل يا أَيُّهَا النّاسُ إِنّي رَسولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيكُم جَميعًا الَّذي لَهُ مُلكُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ ۖ لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ يُحيي وَيُميتُ ۖ فَآمِنوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ الَّذي يُؤمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِماتِهِ وَاتَّبِعوهُ لَعَلَّكُم تَهتَدونَ (۱۵۸)
7-158a: A prophet for all nations: The attribute given here of the Arabian Prophet is that he is a prophet to all nations and the prophecies of his advent in the Torah and Gospel are not without significance. The emphasis given to those prophecies is because this Arabian Prophet was to be a Messenger for all nations. All prophets who preceded the Holy Prophet were ordained only for their respective nations as is obvious from the narration of these prophets in this Surah. The prevailing conditions at the time necessitated that their ministries be curtailed but the effect of that was that it resulted in national divisions and differences. Hence in the end, Allah sent a Prophet to gather all nations under his flag and to preach the Oneness of God to all nations. Prior to Islam all the religions were national religions, and all the prophets were national prophets but the religion for all nations and the prophet for the entire humanity has been only one and that is the one who was Divinely commanded to declare: إِنّي رَسولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيكُم جَميعًا (I am the Messenger of Allah to you all).
7-159 And of Moses’ people is a party who guide with truth, and therewith they do justice.a
وَمِن قَومِ موسىٰ أُمَّةٌ يَهدونَ بِالحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعدِلونَ (۱۵۹)
7-159a: The purport here is that the entire Israelite nation was not disobedient. There were people among them who guided the people with truth. They adhered to the truth and in their affairs, they decided matters equitably and with justice.
7-160 And We divided them into twelve tribes, as nations. And We revealed to Moses when his people asked him for water: Strike the rock with thy staff; so out flowed from it twelve springs. Each tribe knew its drinking-place. And We made the clouds to give shade over them and We sent to them manna and quails. Eat of the good things We have given you. And they did not do Us any harm, but they wronged themselves.
وَقَطَّعناهُمُ اثنَتَي عَشرَةَ أَسباطًا أُمَمًا ۚ وَأَوحَينا إِلىٰ موسىٰ إِذِ استَسقاهُ قَومُهُ أَنِ اضرِب بِعَصاكَ الحَجَرَ ۖ فَانبَجَسَت مِنهُ اثنَتا عَشرَةَ عَينًا ۖ قَد عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُناسٍ مَشرَبَهُم ۚ وَظَلَّلنا عَلَيهِمُ الغَمامَ وَأَنزَلنا عَلَيهِمُ المَنَّ وَالسَّلوىٰ ۖ كُلوا مِن طَيِّباتِ ما رَزَقناكُم ۚ وَما ظَلَمونا وَلٰكِن كانوا أَنفُسَهُم يَظلِمونَ (۱۶۰)
7-161 And when it was said to them: Dwell in this town and eat from it whence you wish, and make petition for forgiveness, and enter the gate submissively, We shall forgive you your wrongs. We shall give more to the doers of good.
وَإِذ قيلَ لَهُمُ اسكُنوا هٰذِهِ القَريَةَ وَكُلوا مِنها حَيثُ شِئتُم وَقولوا حِطَّةٌ وَادخُلُوا البابَ سُجَّدًا نَغفِر لَكُم خَطيئَاتِكُم ۚ سَنَزيدُ المُحسِنينَ (۱۶۱)
7-162 But those who were unjust among them changed it for a word other than that which they were told, so We sent upon them a pestilence from heaven for their wrongdoing.a
فَبَدَّلَ الَّذينَ ظَلَموا مِنهُم قَولًا غَيرَ الَّذي قيلَ لَهُم فَأَرسَلنا عَلَيهِم رِجزًا مِنَ السَّماءِ بِما كانوا يَظلِمونَ (۱۶۲)
7-162a: These events are being narrated for the third time. The first time is in Surah Al Baqarah during a narration about Moses, the second time is in Surah Al Nisa during a narration about Jesus and the third time here during a discussion of the Holy Prophet.
Bayan-ul-Quran 