Who Are the Twelve Tribes (Al-Asbat)?
من هم الأسباط الاثنا عشر؟
The twelve tribes are branches of the Children of Israel, who are called asbat (tribes), just as the Arabs are called tribes (qaba’il) and the non-Arabs are called peoples (shu’ub).
(And We divided them into twelve tribes (as distinct) nations. We directed Musa (Moses) by inspiration, when his people asked him for water, (saying): "Strike the stone with your stick", and there gushed forth out of it twelve springs: each group knew its own place for water. We shaded them with the clouds and sent down upon them Al-Manna and the quails (saying): "Eat of the good things with which We have provided you." They harmed Us not but they used to harm themselves.) [Al-A'raf 7:160]
Note: This verse is Al-A'raf 7:160; the original answer labelled it Al-Baqarah 2:160.
هم من بطون بني إسرائيل يقال لهم الأسباط كما يقال للعرب قبائل وللعجم شعوب.
(وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ إِذِ اسْتَسْقَاهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ) [الأعراف 7: 160]
ملاحظة: هذه الآية في (الأعراف 7: 160)، وقد نسبها الجواب الأصلي إلى (البقرة 2: 160).
1. The Twelve Sons of Yaqub | بنو يعقوب الاثنا عشر
Allah says: say, we believe in Allah and in what was sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrahim, Isma’il, Ishaq, Ya’qub and the Asbat (2:136). Ibn Kathir reports from Abu al-Aliyah, al-Rabi’ and Qatadah: the asbat are the sons of Ya’qub, twelve men, each of whom fathered a nation of people, so they were called the asbat. Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad said: the asbat among the Children of Israel are like the tribes among the children of Isma’il; and al-Bukhari said: the asbat are the tribes of the Children of Israel.
قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ (سورة البقرة: 136)
قال تعالى: (قولوا آمنا بالله وما أنزل إلينا وما أنزل إلى إبراهيم وإسماعيل وإسحاق ويعقوب والأسباط) (البقرة 2: 136)، قال أبو العالية والربيع وقتادة: الأسباط بنو يعقوب اثنا عشر رجلا، ولد كل رجل منهم أمة من الناس، فسموا الأسباط، وقال الخليل بن أحمد وغيره: الأسباط في بني إسرائيل كالقبائل في بني إسماعيل، وقال البخاري: الأسباط قبائل بني إسرائيل، كما نقل ابن كثير.
2. A Spring for Every Tribe | لكل سبط عين
Allah says: and We divided them into twelve tribes as nations, and We inspired Musa, when his people asked him for water: strike the stone with your staff; and twelve springs gushed from it, and every people knew its drinking place (7:160). Ibn Kathir explains that each tribe had its own spring, which it knew. The story is told in the twelve springs that gushed for Musa’s people.
وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا ۚ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ إِذِ اسْتَسْقَاهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ ۖ فَانبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا ۖ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ (سورة الأعراف: 160)
قال تعالى: (وقطعناهم اثنتي عشرة أسباطا أمما وأوحينا إلى موسى إذ استسقاه قومه أن اضرب بعصاك الحجر فانبجست منه اثنتا عشرة عينا قد علم كل أناس مشربهم) (الأعراف 7: 160)، وبين ابن كثير أنه تفجر لهم الماء من ثنتي عشرة عينا، لكل سبط من أسباطهم عين قد عرفوها.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Who are the twelve tribes (al-Asbat)?
The branches of the Children of Israel; Ibn Kathir reports that they descend from the twelve sons of Ya’qub.
Why are they called asbat?
The asbat among the Children of Israel are like the tribes among the children of Isma’il, as al-Khalil ibn Ahmad said.
Which verse mentions the twelve tribes?
Al-A’raf 7:160: and We divided them into twelve tribes as nations.
How many springs gushed for them?
Twelve, one for each tribe, and every people knew its drinking place (7:160).