Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 211

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Ask the Children of Isrā’īl (Israel) how many a clear sign We have given to them; and whoever changes the blessing of Allah after it has come to him, then Allah is severe in punishment.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We have given them. And whoever trades Allah’s favour—after receiving it—˹for disbelief˺ should know that Allah is indeed severe in punishment.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We have given them. But anyone who substitutes the favors of Allah after receiving it, then Allah is severe in punishment.

A. J. Arberry

Ask the Children of Israel how many a clear sign We gave them. Whoso changes God's blessing after it has come to him, God is terrible in retribution.

Abdul Haleem

[Prophet], ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We brought them. If anyone alters God’s blessings after he has received them, God is stern in punishment.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Ask thou the Children of Isra'il, how many a manifest sign We brought unto them. And whosoever altereth the favour of Allah after it hath come unto him, then verily Allah is severe in Chastising.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear (Signs) We have sent them. But if any one, after Allah's favour has come to him, substitutes (something else), Allah is strict in punishment.

Abul Ala Maududi

Ask the children of Israel how many a clear sign We have shown to them: (also ask them) what a severe chastisement Allah inflicts on the community that, after receiving Allah's favour exchanges it (for wretchdness).

Ahmed Ali

Ask the children of Israel how many a clear sign We had given them. But if one changes the favour of God after having received it, then remember, God is severe in revenge.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Ask the Descendants of Israel how many clear signs We gave them; and whoever alters Allah’s favour which came to him, then indeed Allah’s punishment is severe.

Ali Quli Qarai

Ask the Children of Israel how many a manifest sign We had given them. Whoever changes Allah’s blessing after it has come to him, indeed Allah is severe in retribution.

Ali Ünal

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear proofs We gave to them (and what happened when they heeded them or did not heed them). Whoever tampers with God’s blessing after it has come to him (whoever alters the guidance or exchanges it for straying): surely God is severe in retribution.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Ask the Children of Israel how many a clear Sign did We gave them. And whoever changes the favour of Allâh after it has come to him (with every convincing proof, and so makes himself deserving of punishment) he will find that Allâh is surely Severe in retribution.

English Literal

Ask/question Israel`s sons and daughters, how much/many We gave them from an evident sign/verse/evidence, and who exchanged/replaced/substituted God`s blessing from after it came to him, so God (is) strong (severe in) the punishment.

Faridul Haque

Ask the Descendants of Israel how many clear signs We gave them; and whoever alters Allah’s favour which came to him, then indeed Allah’s punishment is severe.

Hamid S. Aziz

Ask the children of Israel how many a manifest sign We gave to them; and whoever alters Allah´s favours after that they have come to him, then Allah is strict at following up.

Hilali & Khan

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We gave them. And whoever changes Allah's Favour after it had come to him, [e.g. renounces the Religion of Allah (Islam) and accepts Kufr (disbelief),] then surely, Allah is Severe in punishment.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Ask of the Children of Israel how many a clear sign We gave them! And whoever changes the favour of Allah after it has come to him, then surely Allah is Severe in requiting (evil).

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Ask the Israelites how many a clear sign have We given them; and whoever changes the favor of Allah after it has come to him, then surely Allah is severe in requiting (evil).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Ask of the Children of Israel how many a clear revelation We gave them! He who altereth the grace of Allah after it hath come unto him (for him), lo! Allah is severe in punishment.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), ask the children of Israel about how many visible miracles We had shown them. God is certainly stern in His retribution to those who change the bounty of God (His revelation), after having received His guidance.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We have given them. Whoever changes the Favor of Allah after it has come to him, Allah is Firm in inflicting the punishment.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We gave them. And whoever changes Allah's favor after it has come to him, [e.g., renounces the religion of Allah (Islam) and accepts Kufr (disbelief)] then surely, Allah is severe in punishment.

Wahiduddin Khan

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We have given them. Anyone who changes God's blessing once it has come to him will find God is stern in punishment.

Talal Itani

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear signs We have given them. Whoever alters the blessing of God after it has come to him—God is severe in retribution.

Tafsir jalalayn

Ask, O Muhammad (s), the Children of Israel, by way of rebuke, how many a clear proof, manifest ones such as the parting of the sea, and the sending down of manna and quails, which they exchanged for unbelief, did We give them (kam, `how many', is the interrogative particle linking the second object of the verb sal, `ask', and is also the second object of the verb tayn, `We gave', and its specifier); whoever changes God's grace, that is, what God has blessed him with in the way of signs, for these constitute the causes of guidance, after it has come to him, out of unbelief, God is severe in retribution against him.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Punishment for changing Allah's Favor and mocking the Believers

Allah says;

سَلْ بَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ كَمْ اتَيْنَاهُم مِّنْ ايَةٍ بَيِّنَةٍ

Ask the Children of Israel how many clear Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We gave them.

Allah mentioned that the Children of Israel, were witnesses to many clear signs that attest to the truth of Moses regarding what he was sent with for them. They witnessed;

his hand (when it became lit with light),

his parting the sea,

his striking the rock (and water flowed from the rock),

the clouds that shaded them during the intense heat,

the manna and the quails, and so forth.

These signs attested to the existence of the Creator and the truth of Moses by whose hand these signs appeared. Yet, so many among them changed Allah's favor, by preferring disbelief to faith and by ignoring Allah's favors,

وَمَن يُبَدِّلْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءتْهُ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ



And whoever changes Allah's favor after it had come to him, then surely, Allah is severe in punishment.

Similarly, Allah said about the disbelievers of Quraysh;

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ

جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَبِيْسَ الْقَرَارُ

Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief, and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction Hell, in which they will burn, ـ and what an evil place to settle in! (14;28-29)

Then Allah said;