The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 216
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH PT. 1 الَّذِينَ أَتَيْنُهُمُ الْكِتَبَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ They to whom We have. 122 given the Book follow it as it تِلَاوَتِه أوليك يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمَنْ ought to be followed; it is these that believe therein. And whoso believes not therein, these are they who are the losers. 128 R. 15. تَكْفُرُ بِهِ فَأُولَبِكَ هُمُ الْخَسِرُونَ يُبَنِي إِسْرَاعِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي !O ye children of Israel. 123 remember My favours which I اَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّى فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى bestowed upon you, and that العلمينَ "I exalted you above all peoples, 129 128. Commentary: "3:114. "See 2:41. "See 2:48. The words, they to whom We have given the Book, clearly refer here to Muslims and not to Jews and Christians, because it is the Muslims that were the true and sincere followers of the Quran and not Jews and Christians who refused to believe in the Quran and rejected it as a piece of fabrication. Jews and Christians have been referred to in the concluding portion of the verse where, owing to their rejection of the Quran, they are spoken of as the losers. The verse provides very high and well-merited praise for the Companions of the Holy Prophet who have been described as true followers of God's guidance. 129. Commentary: Before proceeding to deal with the point that when the cup of the iniquities of the Jews became full to the brim, prophethood was 216 transferred from the House of Israel to that of Ishmael, God in this verse again reminds the Jews of the manifold favours He had conferred upon them, and by inference also reminds them of their crimes and wickednesses. The favours which God showered upon the Israelites from the time of Moses to that of Jesus are briefly recounted in the preceding verses along with a tale of their misdeeds and iniquities. Particular reference has been made to the reprehensible treatment they meted out to the Holy Prophet of Islam and the Muslims, and finally the whole subject has been briefly recapitulated in the above verse, forming an introduction to the new theme, i. e. the transfer of prophethood from the House of Isaac to that of Ishmael. With the advent of the Holy Prophet a new era had been ushered and those who rejected him could no longer bask in the sunshine of God's favours.