Quranic Sciences

211. "Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We gave them; and whosoever changes Allah's blessing after it has come unto him, then, verily Allah is severe in retribution."

Commentary

This verse points to the manner of the Children of Israel that how they were entangled with the punishment of Allah when they changed the blessings of Allah and showed ingratitude after having those clear signs and divine favours. " Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We gave them; and whosoever changes Allah's blessing after it has come unto him,..." The purpose of 'change of blessing' is that one misuses the blessings, favours, and material and spiritual sources of authority, potentialities and talents that the one naturally has in his possession on the path of destruction, deviation, transgression, and vicious actions. Allah gave the Children of Israel both spiritual trainees and powerful leaders. He (s.w.t.) bestowed upon them all sorts of material and spiritual facilities and possibilities, but they changed those bounties. That behaviour they had, not only ruined their lives in this world, but also causes that there will be waiting a painful chastisement for them in the world to come.

"... then, verily Allah is severe in retribution."

The problem of 'change of blessing' and its painful resulting fate is not conclusive to the Israelites. At this very present Age, the industrial world is also entangled with this great adversity. The human race of today has so much abundant and different bounties and facilities that no period in the history has recorded the like of them for human kind. Yet, as a result of being distant from the heavenly instructions of prophets and because of 'change of blessing' , human beings of this Age have applied those bounties terribly alongside the way of their own destruction. They have produced the most dangerous destructive weapons out of them (those bounties) to ruin the world. Or, they have gained profits by misusing their own material natural potentialities for the spread of transgression, oppression, exploitation, and have changed the world into an insecure and unpeaceful site in all respects.

The initial phrase of the verse: "Ask the Children of Israel" is, in fact, for the reason that the blessing of Allah be confessed by them, and then, it be remarked why they were faced with that adversity: that they scattered wandering in the world.

Adapted from the book: "The Light of The Quran - Interpretation of Sura Al-Baqarah (The Cow)" by: "Sayyid Kamal Faghih Imani and A Group of Muslim Scholars"