Quran Universe
2:122

يَٰبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتِيَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنۡعَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلۡتُكُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Ya banee israeela othkuroo niAAmatiya allatee anAAamtu AAalaykum waannee faddaltukum AAala alAAalameena

O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds.

Word by word
  1. يَٰبَنِيٓO Children
  2. إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ(of) Israel
  3. ٱذۡكُرُواْRemember
  4. نِعۡمَتِيَMy Favor
  5. ٱلَّتِيٓwhich
  6. أَنۡعَمۡتُI bestowed
  7. عَلَيۡكُمۡupon you
  8. وَأَنِّيand that I
  9. فَضَّلۡتُكُمۡ[I] preferred you
  10. عَلَىover
  11. ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَthe worlds
Al-Baqarah · 2:122Madinah

Remember My favour on you. A blessing is a responsibility.

Gifts given, then the question of gratitude

What they were given
My favourin worldly and religious life
preferred over the worldsin their time
calls for
rememberingand following the truth
What a blessing asks
proof I am special
a call to gratitude

This call repeats one from the start of the surah. Ibn Kathir says it is repeated to stress following the Prophet ﷺ described in their books. Allah reminds them of His favours and warns them: do not let envy of what others were given push you to deny the truth.

You were born into a Muslim family, taught to pray, given a mosque nearby. It is easy to treat that as status. A blessing is a question: what will you do with it?

I was given faith, so I am already ahead.

Every favour from Allah is a trust that asks for gratitude and action.

Try this

List three blessings in your faith life that you did not earn. Thank Allah for each one.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the nations) (122)And fear the Day (of Judgement) when no person shall avail another, nor shall compensation be accepted from him, nor shall intercession be of use to him, nor shall they be helped (123)

We mentioned a similar Ayah at the beginning of this Surah, and it is mentioned here to emphisize the importance of following the Ummi Prophet and Messenger, who is described for the People of the Scriptures in their Books by his characteristics, name, the good news about him and the description of his Ummah. Allah warned them against concealing this information, which is among the favors that Allah granted them. Allah also commanded them to remember their daily life and their religious affairs and how He blessed them. They should not envy their cousins, the Arabs, for what Allah has given them, the Final Messenger of Allah being an Arab. Envy should not incite them to oppose or deny the Prophet or refrain from following him, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him until the Day of Judgment.