Surah 45

Surah 45:16

"Certainly We gave the Sons of Israel the Book, and the judgment, and the prophetic office. We provided them with good things and favored them over the worlds."
Preference of Allah to the Children of Israel and their dispute thereafter Verses 45:16-20
Show Full Scripture Context (45:16-20) — 5 Verses
Verse 16

وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحُكۡمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقۡنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَٰهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Certainly We gave the Sons of Israel the Book, and the judgment, and the prophetic office. We provided them with good things and favored them over the worlds.

Verse 17

وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُم بَيِّنَٰتٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِۖ فَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُوٓاْ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقۡضِي بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ

And We gave them clear signs of the matter. They did not differ until after the knowledge had come to them, (because of) envy among themselves. Surely your Lord will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning their differences.

Verse 18

ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ فَٱتَّبِعۡهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

Then We placed you on a pathway of the matter. So follow it, and do not follow the (vain) desires of those who do not know.

Verse 19

إِنَّهُمۡ لَن يُغۡنُواْ عَنكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـٔٗاۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٖۖ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ

Surely they will be of no use to you at all against God. Surely the evildoers are allies of each other, but God is the Ally of the ones who guard (themselves).

Verse 20

هَٰذَا بَصَـٰٓئِرُ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٞ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُوقِنُونَ

This is evidence for the people, and a guidance and mercy for a people who are certain.

Allah the Exalted mentions the favors He granted the Children of Israel, such as revealing the Divine Books to them, sending the Messengers to them and granting them kingship. Allah said,

Quoted Scripture
"And indeed We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, and the understanding of the Scripture and its laws, and the prophethood ; and provided them with good things,"

such as foods and drinks,

{and preferred them above the nations.} of their time,

{And gave them clear proofs in matters.} 'We gave them evidences, proofs and unequivocal signs.' Therefore, the proof has been established against them, yet they differed among themselves after the proof came to them, out of transgression against each other,

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 9, Page 25-27)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.