We delivered you from your enemy…” Then...

We delivered you from your enemy…” Then, the verse points to one of the spiritual bounties, when it says: “…and We made a covenant with you on the right side of Tur (the Mount Sinai)…” As it was said in the above, this part of the verse points to the tryst when Moses and some of the Children of Israel went to the Tur Mount. It was in this very tryst that Allah sent down the Tablets of Moses and spoke with him and all of them saw the special manifestation of Allah.

And, finally, the verse points to an important material bounty which originated from the peculiar graces of Allah unto the Children of Israel. It says: “…and We sent down unto you Manna and quails.” They were wandering in a desert where they had no suitable food. Then the grace of Allah helped them and He gave them some delightful and delicious food to use, as much as they needed. However, the spiritual bounty is prior to the material bounty.

“Eat of the good things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein, lest My Wrath should descend on you, and on whomever My Wrath does descend, he is lost indeed.” After mentioning those three valuable bounties, this verse addresses them and says: “Eat of the good things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein, lest My Wrath should descend on you…” Insolence, concerning the Divine bounties, is that a person, instead of using them in the path of obedience of Allah and the path of his own felicity, uses them as a means of sinning, ingratitude, disbelief, obstinacy, and prodigality, as the Children of Israel did in the like manner.

And, following that matter, the verse continues saying: “…and on whomever My Wrath does descend, he is lost indeed.” The Qur’anic term /hawa/ originally means: ‘to fall from a height down’, the result of which is usually destruction. Moreover, here the term also indicates to the fall of spiritual rank: separation from nearness of Allah, and being sent away from His presence.