believing in it, is the saying of the Almighty: {And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from what the earth grows of its herbs, its cucumbers, its garlic, its lentils, and its onions." He said, "Would you exchange what is better for what is lower? Go down to a settlement (Misr), for you will have what you have asked." And they were struck with abasement and poverty and returned with anger from Allah} (Al-Baqarah: 61).

Among the narrations indicating the meaning of this grave verse is what Al-Sayyid Abu Sa'id—may Allah sanctify his soul—narrated in the book Al-Ma'arif, on the authority of Al-Hamadani, on the authority of Abu Sa'id bin Sinan, who said: "Indeed, the five [items] that the Children of Israel requested are five nourishments." So he said to them: {Would you exchange what is better for what is lower...} . from what sustains the body, with {that which is better}, which is that which sustains the spirit of faith and purifies it, namely the Inward Knowledge (Al-'Ilm al-Batin).

I say: The content of this statement indicates the punishment of those inclined toward belief in the Outward Sciences (Al-'Ulum al-Zahira), which are symbolized by what the dark earth produces of herbs, cucumbers, etc. They were not content with what Allah the Almighty specially designated for them of the Inward Sciences, which is the higher Celestial Provision (Al-Rizq al-Samawi) that is "better"