They said to their Prophet out of discontent and contempt for the blessings of Allah the Almighty: We will not be patient to eat one kind of food, so we want something else other than the birds or the trees. This is arrogance in its best manifestation.
They asked for other kinds of food such as cucumber, garlic, lentils, and onions. So, the answer of the Prophet of Allah, Moses, to them: Do you ask for other kinds of food, while you have been given manna and quail which are better than them? your request means that you do not appreciate Allah’s Blessings upon you. What you asked for is available in all countries. This is why he said to them: “go down to any village”. In whatever country you reside, you will find these kinds of food.
(And ˹remember˺ when you said, “O Moses! We cannot endure the same meal ˹every day˺. So ˹just˺ call upon your Lord on our behalf, He will bring forth for us some of what the earth produces of herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils, and onions. Moses scolded ˹them˺, “Do you exchange what is better for what is worse? ˹You can˺ go down to any village and you will find what you have asked for.” They were stricken with disgrace and misery, and they invited the displeasure of Allah for rejecting Allah’s signs and unjustly killing the prophets. This is ˹a fair reward˺ for their disobedience and violations.( (Al-Baqara 2: 61)
Allah the Almighty punished them with humiliation that appeared on their faces and bodies, and with misery that was cast into their hearts, so they lost their sense of honor. They accepted the normal things, and they had no lofty aspirations, but rather they were disgraced, were weakened, and were made miserable. Let Alone, Allah the Almighty sent on them His Wrath and Displeasure because they denied the blessings of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He
قالوا لنبيهم على وجه التململ من نعم الله والاحتقار لها، لنْ نَصْبِرَ على أكل جنس واحد من الطعام، نريد جنسًا آخر، وهذا الجنس يخرج من الأرض، لا يكون طيرًا ولا شجرًا يقوم على الساق، وهذا في غاية التعنت.
فطلبوا من تلك الأصناف: الخيار، والثوم، والعدس والبصل،
فكان جواب نبي الله موسى لهم: أتطلبون الأطعمة المذكورة وما أعطيتموه من المن والسلوى أفضل منها، مثل ذلك لا يليق بمن عرف نعم الله، لأن هذه الأطعمة موجودة في كل بلد تنزلون فيه، ولذلك قال لهم: “اهبطوا مصرًا” أي بلد تنزلون فيه تجدون فيه هذا الطعام.
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نَّصْبِرَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامٍ وَاحِدٍ فَٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ ٱلأَرْضُ مِن بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّآئِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ ٱلَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَىٰ بِٱلَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ ٱهْبِطُواْ مِصْراً فَإِنَّ لَكُمْ مَّا سَأَلْتُمْ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ ذٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَواْ وَّكَانُواْ يَعْتَدُون)
البقرة 2: 61
فعاقبهم الله تعالى بالذلة التي تظهر على وجوههم وأبدانهم، والْمَسْكَنَة في قلوبهم، فلم تكن أنفسهم عزيزة، بل أنفسهم ذليلة يرتضون بالدون والهون من الأشياء، وليس لهم همم عالية بل أنفس مهينة، وأبدان ضعيفة ووجوه قبيحة وأنزل الله عليهم غضبه وسخطه، وسبب ذلك كفرهم بنعم الله عز وجل.