وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنۢبِيَآءَ وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكًا وَءَاتَىٰكُم مَّا لَمْ يُؤْتِ أَحَدًا مِّنَ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 20
Translations
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Moses said to his people, "O my people, remember the favor of Allāh upon you when He appointed among you prophets and made you possessors and gave you that which He had not given anyone among the worlds.
Transliteration
Wa-idh qala Musa li-qawmihi ya-qawmi idhkuru ni'mata Allahi alaikum idh ja'ala fikusm anbiya'a wa ja'alakum mulukan wa ata'akum ma lam yu'ta ahadan mina al-'alamin
Tafsir (Explanation)
In this ayah, Prophet Musa (Moses) reminds the Bani Israel of the immense blessings Allah bestowed upon them, including raising prophets from among them and giving them kingship and material provisions unlike any other people. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this reminder was meant to motivate the people to obedience and gratitude, as well as to challenge them to remember their covenant with Allah when they were about to enter the promised land. The ayah emphasizes that these extraordinary gifts carried the responsibility of fulfilling Allah's commands and maintaining justice.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in the context of Surah Al-Ma'idah (revealed in Medina), where it forms part of Musa's exhortation to Bani Israel before they were commanded to enter the Holy Land. The passage reflects historical narratives about the special status of the Children of Israel and their repeated lapses from gratitude, serving as a reminder to the Muslim community about the importance of recognizing divine blessings and remaining steadfast in faith.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895), relating to the theme of gratitude and recognizing blessings. Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah' (Sunan Abu Dawud 4811) emphasizes the reciprocal nature of gratitude mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to regularly reflect upon and acknowledge the countless blessings Allah has granted us, recognizing that such favors come with responsibility to maintain justice and righteousness. For believers today, it serves as a reminder that gratitude is not merely an emotional response but a call to accountability—we must honor divine blessings by living according to divine guidance.