5:110

إِذۡ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ ٱذۡكُرۡ نِعۡمَتِي عَلَيۡكَ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَتِكَ إِذۡ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ ٱلۡقُدُسِ تُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِي ٱلۡمَهۡدِ وَكَهۡلٗاۖ وَإِذۡ عَلَّمۡتُكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةَ وَٱلۡإِنجِيلَۖ وَإِذۡ تَخۡلُقُ مِنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيۡـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيۡرِ بِإِذۡنِي فَتَنفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيۡرَۢا بِإِذۡنِيۖ وَتُبۡرِئُ ٱلۡأَكۡمَهَ وَٱلۡأَبۡرَصَ بِإِذۡنِيۖ وَإِذۡ تُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ بِإِذۡنِيۖ وَإِذۡ كَفَفۡتُ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ عَنكَ إِذۡ جِئۡتَهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ مُّبِينٞ

Ith qala Allahu ya AAeesa ibna maryama othkur niAAmatee AAalayka waAAala walidatika ith ayyadtuka biroohi alqudusi tukallimu alnnasa fee almahdi wakahlan waith AAallamtuka alkitaba waalhikmata waalttawrata waalinjeela waith takhluqu mina altteeni kahayati alttayri biithnee fatanfukhu feeha fatakoonu tayran biithnee watubrio alakmaha waalabrasa biithnee waith tukhriju almawta biithnee waith kafaftu banee israeela AAanka ith jitahum bialbayyinati faqala allatheena kafaroo minhum in hatha illa sihrun mubeenun

[The Day] when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and [remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission; and you healed the blind and the leper with My permission; and when you brought forth the dead with My permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from [killing] you when you came to them with clear proofs and those who disbelieved among them said, "This is not but obvious magic."

Word by word
  1. إِذۡWhen
  2. قَالَsaid
  3. ٱللَّهُAllah
  4. يَٰعِيسَىO Isa
  5. ٱبۡنَson
  6. مَرۡيَمَ(of) Maryam
  7. ٱذۡكُرۡRemember
  8. نِعۡمَتِيMy Favor
  9. عَلَيۡكَupon you
  10. وَعَلَىٰand upon
  11. وَٰلِدَتِكَyour mother
  12. إِذۡwhen
  13. أَيَّدتُّكَI strengthened you
  14. بِرُوحِwith (the) Spirit
  15. ٱلۡقُدُسِthe Holy
  16. تُكَلِّمُyou spoke
  17. ٱلنَّاسَ(to) the people
  18. فِيin
  19. ٱلۡمَهۡدِthe cradle
  20. وَكَهۡلٗاۖand (in) maturity
  21. وَإِذۡAnd when
  22. عَلَّمۡتُكَI taught you
  23. ٱلۡكِتَٰبَthe Book
  24. وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَand the wisdom
  25. وَٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةَand the Taurat
  26. وَٱلۡإِنجِيلَۖand the Injeel
  27. وَإِذۡand when
  28. تَخۡلُقُyou make
  29. مِنَfrom
  30. ٱلطِّينِthe clay
  31. كَهَيۡـَٔةِlike the shape
  32. ٱلطَّيۡرِ(of) the bird
  33. بِإِذۡنِيby My permission
  34. فَتَنفُخُthen you breath
  35. فِيهَاinto it
  36. فَتَكُونُand it becomes
  37. طَيۡرَۢاa bird
  38. بِإِذۡنِيۖby My permission
  39. وَتُبۡرِئُand you heal
  40. ٱلۡأَكۡمَهَthe born blind
  41. وَٱلۡأَبۡرَصَand the leper
  42. بِإِذۡنِيۖby My permission
  43. وَإِذۡand when
  44. تُخۡرِجُyou bring forth
  45. ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰthe dead
  46. بِإِذۡنِيۖby My permission
  47. وَإِذۡAnd when
  48. كَفَفۡتُI restrained
  49. بَنِيٓ(the) Children
  50. إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ(of) Israel
  51. عَنكَfrom you
  52. إِذۡwhen
  53. جِئۡتَهُمyou came to them
  54. بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِwith the clear proofs
  55. فَقَالَthen said
  56. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  57. كَفَرُواْdisbelieved
  58. مِنۡهُمۡamong them
  59. إِنۡNot
  60. هَٰذَآ(is) this
  61. إِلَّاbut
  62. سِحۡرٞmagic
  63. مُّبِينٞclear
Al-Ma'idah · 5:110Madinah

Remember My favour on you and your mother.

Every miracle of 'Isa, by Allah's permission


Favours listed
the Pure SpiritJibril's support
spoke in the cradledefending his mother
clay bird, healingthe dead brought forth
protectedfrom those who meant harm
The phrase that repeats
by his own powerhe did it himself
by My permissionsaid again and again

On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will remind 'Isa of His favours: Jibril's support, speaking as a baby to clear his mother's name, the Book and wisdom, the clay bird, healing, raising the dead. Every one is followed by by My permission. Ibn Kathir notes that Allah also saved him from those who rejected him and tried to kill him.

The promotion, the recovery after surgery, the child who finally started talking. You worked hard, the doctors were good. But by His permission belongs after each one. List them. Remembering favours is how gratitude starts.

My successes come from my effort and skill.

Every good thing I do happens by Allah's permission, even the miracles of prophets.

Try this

Write a list of five favours in your life and add by Allah's permission after each.

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

(Remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O 'Isa, son of Maryam! Remember My favor to you and to your mother when I supported you with Ruh - il-Qudus [Jibril] so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and when I taught you the Book, the Hikmah, the Tawrah and the Injil; and when you made out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My permission, and you breathed into it, and it became a bird by My permission, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My permission, and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from you since you came unto them with clear proofs, and the disbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.' (110)"And when I Awhaytu [put in the hearts of] Al-Hawariyyin to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: 'We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims.' (111)

Reminding 'Isa of the Favors that Allah Granted him

Allah mentions how He blessed His servant and Messenger, 'Isa, son of Maryam, and the miracles and extraordinary acts He granted him. Allah said,

اذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكَ

(Remember My favor to you) when I created you from your mother, without male intervention, and made you a sign and clear proof of My perfect power over all things.

وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَتِكَ

(And to your mother) when I made you testify to her chastity and you thus absolved her from the sin that the unjust, ignorant liars accused her of,

إِذْ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ

(when I supported you with Ruh-il-Qudus) the angel Jibril, and made you a Prophet, calling to Allah in the cradle and manhood. I made you speak in the cradle, and you testified that your mother was free from any immoral behavior, and you proclaimed that you worship Me. You also conveyed the news of My Message and invited them to worship Me.

 تُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا

(so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity;) Meaning you called the people to Allah in childhood and in maturity.

And the word Tukallim means invited, because his speaking to people while a child is nothing strange by itself. Allah's statement,

وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ

(And when I taught you the Book and the Hikmah,) the power of writing and understanding,

وَالتَّوْرَاةَ 

(and the Tawrah,) which was revealed to Musa, son of 'Imran, who spoke to Allah directly. Allah's statement,

وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِي

(and when you made out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My permission,) means: 'you shaped it in the figure of a bird by My permission, and it became a bird with My permission, after you blew into it'. Then, it became a flying bird with a soul by Allah's permission. Allah said;

وَتُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ بِإِذْنِي

(and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My permission,) This was explained before in Surah Āl-'Imrān (chapter 3) and we do not need to repeat it here. Allah's statement,

وَإِذْ تُخْرِجُ الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِي

(And when you brought forth the dead by My permission,) meaning, you called them and they rose from their graves by Allah's leave, power, lntent and will. Allah said next,

وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنكَ إِذْ جِئْتَهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ

(and when I restrained the Children of Israel from you since you came unto them with clear proofs, and the disbelievers among them said: "This is nothing but evident magic.")

Meaning: 'remember My favor, when I stopped the Children of Israel from harming you, when you brought them the clear proofs and evidence, testifying to your prophethood and Message from Me to them. They rejected you and accused you of being a magician and tried to kill you by crucifixion, but I saved you, raised you to Me, purified you from their vulgarity and protected you from their harm.'

The wording of this Ayah indicates that 'Isa will be reminded of these favors on the Day of Resurrection. Allah used the past tense in these Ayat indicating that it is a forgone matter that will certainly occur. This Ayah also contains some of the secrets of the Unseen that Allah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ. Allah said,

وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِي وَبِرَسُولِي

(And when I (Allah) Awhaytu Al-Hawariyyin to believe in Me and My Messenger.)

This is also a reminder of Allah's favor on 'Isa, by making discples and companions for him. It is also said that Awhaytu in the Ayah means, 'inspired', just as in another Ayah, Allah said;

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ

(And We inspired the mother of Musa (saying): Suckle him...)[28:7] Allah said in other Ayat,

وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ - ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ فَاسْلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا

(And your Lord Awha (inspired) the bee, saying: "Take habitations in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect. Then, eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you).")[16:68-69]

Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented about the Hawariyyun, "Allah inspired them", while As-Suddi said, "He put in their hearts," and the Hawariyyun said,

آمَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ

(We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims.)