"And We divided them into twelve tribes, nations," meaning: the Children of Israel.
Muhammad said: The 'asbat (tribes) are the clans, the singular of which is sibt, and the sibt in the language is the group that traces back to one father.
"And We inspired Moses when his people asked him for water, 'Strike the stone with your staff,'" up to His saying, "for the wrong they used to do." We have already explained their affair in Surat al-Baqarah.
Surat al-A'raf from verse (163) to verse (166).
﴿وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا﴾ يَعْنِي: بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: (الأَسْبَاطُ): الْقَبَائِلُ، وَاحِدُهَا: سِبْطٌ، وَالسِّبْطُ فِي اللُّغَة: الْجَمَاعَة الَّذين يرجعُونَ إِلَى أبٍ وَاحِدٍ.
﴿وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى إِذِ اسْتَسْقَاهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِب بعصاك الْحجر﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ ﴿بِمَا كَانُوا يَظْلِمُونَ﴾ وَقَدْ فَسَّرْنَا أَمْرَهُمْ فِي سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَة.
سُورَة الْأَعْرَاف من الْآيَة (١٦٣) إِلَى الْآيَة (١٦٦).
