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Ayah
Word by Word
سَلۡ
Ask
بَنِيٓ
(the) Children
إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ
(of) Israel
كَمۡ
how many
ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُم
We gave them
مِّنۡ
of
ءَايَةِ
(the) Sign(s)
بَيِّنَةٖۗ
clear
وَمَن
And whoever
يُبَدِّلۡ
changes
نِعۡمَةَ
Favor
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
مِنۢ
from
بَعۡدِ
after
مَا
[what]
جَآءَتۡهُ
it (has) come to him
فَإِنَّ
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
شَدِيدُ
(is) severe
ٱلۡعِقَابِ
in [the] chastising
سَلۡ
Ask
بَنِيٓ
(the) Children
إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ
(of) Israel
كَمۡ
how many
ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُم
We gave them
مِّنۡ
of
ءَايَةِ
(the) Sign(s)
بَيِّنَةٖۗ
clear
وَمَن
And whoever
يُبَدِّلۡ
changes
نِعۡمَةَ
Favor
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
مِنۢ
from
بَعۡدِ
after
مَا
[what]
جَآءَتۡهُ
it (has) come to him
فَإِنَّ
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
شَدِيدُ
(is) severe
ٱلۡعِقَابِ
in [the] chastising
Translation
Ask the Children of Israel how many clear (Signs) We have sent them. But if any one, after Allah's favour has come to him, substitutes (something else), Allah is strict in punishment.
Tafsir
Ask, O Muhammad may peace and salutation be upon him, the Israelites, by way of rebuke, how many a clear proof, manifest ones such as the parting of the sea, and the sending down of manna and quails, which they exchanged for unbelief, did We give them (kam, 'how many', is the interrogative particle linking the second object of the verb sal, 'ask', and is also the second object of the verb aataynaa, 'We gave', and its specifier); whoever changes God's grace, that is, what God has blessed him with in the way of signs, for these constitute the causes of guidance, after it has come to him, out of unbelief, God is severe in retribution against him.
The Punishment for changing Allah's Favor and mocking the Believers
Allah says;
سَلۡ بَنِي إِسۡرَايِيلَ كَمۡ اتَيۡنَاهُم مِّنۡ ايَةٍ بَيِّنَةٍ
Ask the Children of Israel how many clear Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We gave them.
Allah mentioned that the Children of Israel, were witnesses to many clear signs that attest to the truth of Moses regarding what he was sent with for them. They witnessed;
his hand (when it became lit with light),
his parting the sea,
his striking the rock (and water flowed from the rock),
the clouds that shaded them during the intense heat,
the manna and the quails, and so forth.
These signs attested to the existence of the Creator and the truth of Moses by whose hand these signs appeared. Yet, so many among them changed Allah's favor, by preferring disbelief to faith and by ignoring Allah's favors,
وَمَن يُبَدِّلۡ نِعۡمَةَ اللّهِ مِن بَعۡدِ مَا جَاءتۡهُ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيدُ الۡعِقَابِ
And whoever changes Allah's favor after it had come to him, then surely, Allah is severe in punishment.
Similarly, Allah said about the disbelievers of Quraysh:
أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواۡ نِعۡمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفۡرًا وَأَحَلُّواۡ قَوۡمَهُمۡ دَارَ الۡبَوَارِ
جَهَنَّمَ يَصۡلَوۡنَهَا وَبِيۡسَ الۡقَرَارُ
Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief, and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction Hell, in which they will burn, ـ and what an evil place to settle in! (14:28-29)
Then Allah said;
زُيِّنَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ الۡحَيَاةُ الدُّنۡيَا وَيَسۡخَرُونَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ امَنُواۡ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّقَواۡ فَوۡقَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ
Beautified is the life of this world for those who disbelieve, and they mock at those who believe. But those who have Taqwa, will be above them on the Day of Resurrection. And Allah gives (of His bounty, blessings, favors, and honors on the Day of Resurrection) to whom He wills without limit.
Allah states that He has made the life of this world beautiful for the disbelievers who are satisfied with it, who collect wealth, but refrain from spending it on what they have been commanded, which could earn them Allah's pleasure.
Instead, they ridicule the believers who ignore this life and who spend whatever they earn on what pleases their Lord. The believers spend seeking Allah's Face, and this is why they have gained the ultimate happiness and the best share on the Day of the Return. Therefore, they will be exalted above the disbelievers at the Gathering Place, when they are gathered, during the resurrection and in their final destination. The believers will reside in the highest grades in the utmost highs, while the disbelievers will reside in the lowest of lows (in the Fire).
This is why Allah said:
وَاللّهُ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَاء بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ
And Allah gives to whom He wills without limit.
This Ayah indicates that Allah gives sustenance to whomever He wills of His servants without count or limit in this and the Hereafter.
A Hadith has stated (that Allah said):
ابۡنَ ادَمَ أَنۡفِقۡ أُنۡفِقۡ عَلَيۡك
O son of Adam! Spend (in Allah's cause) and I (Allah) will spend on you.
The Prophet said:
أَنۡفِقۡ بِلَلُ وَلَا تَخۡشَ مِنۡ ذِي الۡعَرۡشِ إِقۡلَلاً
O Bilal! Spend and do not fear deprivation from the Owner of the Throne.
Allah said:
وَمَأ أَنفَقۡتُمۡ مِّن شَىۡءٍ فَهُوَ يُخۡلِفُهُ
and whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah's cause), He will replace it. (34:39)
In addition, it is reported in the Sahih that the Prophet said:
أَنَّ مَلَكَيۡنِ يَنۡزِلَانِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ صَبِيحَةَ كُلِّ يَوۡمٍ فَيَقُولُ أحَدُهُمَا اللَّهُمَّ أَعۡطِ مُنۡفِقًا خَلَفًا وَيَقُولُ الاخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ أعۡطِ مُمۡسِكًا تَلَفًا
Every day two angels come down from heavens and one of them says, `O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your cause,' and the other (angel) says, `O Allah! Destroy every miser.'
Also in the Sahih:
يَقُولُ ابۡنُ ادَمَ مَالِي مَالِي
وَهَلۡ لَكَ مِنۡ مَالِكَ إِلاَّ مَا أَكَلۡتَ فَأَفۡنَيۡتَ وَمَا لَبِسۡتَ فَأَبۡلَيۡتَ وَمَا تَصَدَّقۡتَ فَأَمۡضَيۡتَ وَمَا سِوَى ذلِكَ فَذَاهِبٌ وَتَارِكُهُ لِلنَّاس
The son of Adam says, `My money, my money!'
Yet, what is your money except that which you eat and use up, wear and tear, and spend in charity and thus keep (in your record). Other than that, it will go away and will be left for the people (the inheritors).
In addition, Imam Ahmad reported that the Prophet said:
الدُّنۡيَا دَارُ مَنۡ لَا دَارَ لَهُ وَمَالُ مَنۡ لَا مَالَ لَهُ وَلَهَا يَجۡمَعُ مَنۡ لَا عَقۡلَ لَه
The Dunya (life of this world) is the residence of those who have no residence, the wealth of those who have no wealth, and it is harvested by those who have no sense of reason.
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