Surah Jathiyah ayat 16 Tafsir Quran 45:16

﴿وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ﴾
[ الجاثية: 16]

45:16 And We did certainly give the Children of Israel the Scripture and judgement and prophethood, and We provided them with good things and preferred them over the worlds.

And verily We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture the Torah and the means of judgement therewith between people and prophethood for Moses and Aaron among them and We provided them with the good things the lawful things such as manna and quails and We favoured them above all worlds the worlds of their time that is above all other rational beings.

Allah asserts: We gave Bani-Israel (the Children of Israel) the Book and authority and soundness of judgment in the choice of means and ends and bestowed on them the Divine prerogative of Prophethood, We provided them with victuals of the various good and wholesome kinds of provisions, and they wore Our favour to the end that We preferred them above all peoples*. (At the time when idolatry and aetheism prevailed)

Preference of Allah to the Children of Israel and their dispute thereafter 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, وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَـهُمْ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَـتِ ( 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, وَفَضَّلْنَـهُمْ عَلَى الْعَـلَمينَ ( and preferred them above the nations. ) of their time, وَءاتَيْنَـهُم بَيِّنَـتٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ ( 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, إِنَّ رَبَّكَ ( Verily, your Lord ) `O Muhammad', يَقْضِى بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ( will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they used to differ.
) He will judge between them by His just judgement. Warning to this Ummah against following the Ways of the Children of Israel This Ayah contains a warning to the Muslim Ummah as well.
It warns them not to take the path the Jews took nor adopt their ways.
This is why Allah said, ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـكَ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا ( Then We have put you on a (legal ) way of commandment.
So follow you that.) `follow what was revealed to you from your Lord, O Muhammad, there is no true deity except Him, and turn away from the idolators.' Allah said, وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَإِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُواْ عَنكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً وَإِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ( and follow not the desires of those who know not.
Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah.
Verily, the wrongdoers are protecting friends of one another, ) Allah says, `what will the loyalty that the idolators give each other avail them' Indeed, all they will earn from their protecting friends is more loss, destruction and demise, وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ( but Allah is the Protector of those who have Taqwa. ) and He will deliver them from the darkness to the light.
In contrast, all the false deities are the protecting friends of those who disbelieve, taking them out of the light to the darkness.
Allah said, هَـذَا بَصَـئِرُ لِلنَّاسِ ( This is a clear insight and evidence for man- kind, ) in reference to the Qur'an, وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ ( and a guidance and a mercy for people who have faith with certainty. )

(45:16) Indeed We endowed the Children of Israel with the Book and Wisdom *20 and Prophethood, and provided them with good things *21 as sustenance, and exalted them above the peoples of the whole world.

And We did certainly give the Children meaning

*20) Hukm ( judgement ) implies three things: ( 1 ) Knowledge and understanding of the Book and Religion; ( 2 ) wisdom to act according to the intention of the Book; and ( 3 ) capability to give right decisions in disputes.

*21) It does not mean that they were given preference over all the people of the world for ever, rather it means: Allah had chosen the children of Israel from among all the contemporary nations of the world for the service that they should hold fast to the Divine Book and should rise as the standard-bearers of God-worship in the world.

 

Preference of Allah to the Children of Israel and their dispute thereafter 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, وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَـهُمْ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَـتِ ( 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, وَفَضَّلْنَـهُمْ عَلَى الْعَـلَمينَ ( and preferred them above the nations. ) of their time, وَءاتَيْنَـهُم بَيِّنَـتٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ ( 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, إِنَّ رَبَّكَ ( Verily, your Lord ) `O Muhammad', يَقْضِى بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ( will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they used to differ.
) He will judge between them by His just judgement. Warning to this Ummah against following the Ways of the Children of Israel This Ayah contains a warning to the Muslim Ummah as well.
It warns them not to take the path the Jews took nor adopt their ways.
This is why Allah said, ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـكَ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا ( Then We have put you on a (legal ) way of commandment.
So follow you that.) `follow what was revealed to you from your Lord, O Muhammad, there is no true deity except Him, and turn away from the idolators.' Allah said, وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَإِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُواْ عَنكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً وَإِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ( and follow not the desires of those who know not.
Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah.
Verily, the wrongdoers are protecting friends of one another, ) Allah says, `what will the loyalty that the idolators give each other avail them' Indeed, all they will earn from their protecting friends is more loss, destruction and demise, وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ( but Allah is the Protector of those who have Taqwa. ) and He will deliver them from the darkness to the light.
In contrast, all the false deities are the protecting friends of those who disbelieve, taking them out of the light to the darkness.
Allah said, هَـذَا بَصَـئِرُ لِلنَّاسِ ( This is a clear insight and evidence for man- kind, ) in reference to the Qur'an, وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ ( and a guidance and a mercy for people who have faith with certainty. )

( And verily We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture and the Command ) knowledge and understanding ( and the prophethood ) they had among them many prophets and Scriptures, ( and provided them with good things ) and provided them with quails and honey; and it is also said this means: and provided them with spoils of war ( and favoured them above (all ) peoples) above all the people of their time in that We bestowed upon them the Scripture and messenger;

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, and preferred them above the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of their time, during that period),

Page 500 English transliteration