Prophet Mūsā: Part 4 — Banū Isrāʾīl at the Gates and the Golden Calf
Section 19 of 25 · Lives of the Prophets
We Cannot Endure One Kind of Food
Then Banū Isrāʾīl went to Mūsā and asked Mūsā to make duʿāʾ for them. What did they want? Allah (swt) says:
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَٰحِدٍ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ مِنۢ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا ۖ قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِى هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِى هُوَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ٱهْبِطُوا۟ مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُم مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ ۗ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ
“And when you said, “Mūsā , we will no longer confine ourselves to a single food: So, pray for us to your Lord that He may bring forth for us of what the earth grows - of its vegetable, its cucumbers, its wheat, its lentils and its onions.” He said, “Do you want to take what is inferior in exchange for what is better? Go down to a town, and you will have what you ask for.” Then they were stamped with disgrace and misery, and they returned with wrath from Allah. That was because they used to deny the signs of Allah, and would slay the prophets unjustly. That was because they disobeyed and transgressed all limits.” (2:61)
And remember when you said: O Mūsā, we cannot endure one kind of food; so invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows — its herbs, its cucumbers, its fūm, which is either wheat or garlic, its lentils and its onions.
Allah (swt) had provided them with al-mann and al-salwā, special food from Allah (swt) for Banū Isrāʾīl. And they went to Mūsā and said: O Mūsā, tell Allah (swt) that we cannot endure having one type of food; we want to have more variety on the menu. And they asked for lentils, onions, garlic and herbs, and other things that grow from the earth. Vegetarians! Everything they wanted was some kind of plant that comes out of the earth.
Allah (swt) was providing them with the best meat — special meat. And Allah (swt) was providing them with this special food, al-mann; we do not even know what it is. And Allah (swt) was giving them this as a blessing and as a miracle — it was a miracle, and at the same time it was a blessing for them. And they went to Mūsā and said: we are tired of eating the same type of food; we want to have more variety; so ask Allah (swt) to provide us with other things, other kinds of food.