Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 47

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O Children of Isrā’īl (Israel), remember My blessing that I conferred upon you, and that I gave you excellence over the worlds;

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O Children of Israel! Remember ˹all˺ the favours I granted you and how I honoured you above the others.[[ Meaning, I chose you above all peoples of your time.]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

O Children of Israel, remember My blessing which I bestowed upon you and that I favored you over all other people.

A. J. Arberry

Children of Israel, remember My blessing wherewith I blessed you, and that I have preferred you above all beings;

Abdul Haleem

Children of Israel, remember how I blessed you and favoured you over other people.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O Children of Israel: remember My favour wherewith I favoured you, and that verily I preferred you over the world.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Children of Israel! call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you to all other (for My Message).

Abul Ala Maududi

O Children of Israel! Just recall to mind My favour that bestowed upon you, and remember that I exalted you above all the peoples of the world.

Ahmed Ali

Remember, O children of Israel, the favours I bestowed on you, and made you exalted among the nations of the world.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O Descendants of Israel! Remember the favour of Mine, which I bestowed upon you and gave you superiority over others of your time. (by sending the Noble Messengers to your nation)

Ali Quli Qarai

O Children of Israel, remember My blessing which I bestowed upon you, and that I gave you an advantage over all the nations.

Ali Ünal

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor that I bestowed upon you, and that I once exalted you above all peoples;

Amatul Rahman Omar

O Children of Israel! remember My blessings which I bestowed upon you and that I exalted you above (your) contemporaries.

English Literal

You Israel`s sons and daughters, mention/remember My blessing that I blessed on you, and that I preferred/favoured you on the creations altogether/(universes) .

Faridul Haque

O Descendants of Israel! Remember the favour of Mine, which I bestowed upon you and gave you superiority over others of your time. (by sending the Noble Messengers to your nation)

Hamid S. Aziz

O you children of Israel! Remember My favours which I have favoured you with, and that I have preferred you above all others in the world.

Hilali & Khan

O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you to the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of your time period, in the past).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O Children of Israel, call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and that I made you excel the nations.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O children of Israel! call to mind My favor which I bestowed on you and that I made you excel the nations.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O Children of Israel! Remember My favour wherewith I favoured you and how I preferred you to (all) creatures.

Muhammad Sarwar

Children of Israel, recall My favors to you and the preference that I gave to you over all nations.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Children of Israel, remember the favors I have bestowed on you, and that I have preferred you (the prophets among you) above the worlds.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the `Alamin (nations)

Wahiduddin Khan

Children of Israel, remember My blessing which I have bestowed on you, and how I favoured you above all other people.

Talal Itani

O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you, and I that favored you over all nations.

Tafsir jalalayn

O Children of Israel, remember My favour wherewith I favoured you, by giving thanks through obedience to Me, and that I have preferred you, your forefathers, above all the worlds, of their time;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Reminding the Children of Israel that They were preferred above the Other Nations

Allah says;

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ



O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the Alamin (nations).

Allah reminds the Children of Israel of the favors that He granted their fathers and grandfathers, how He showed preference to them by sending them Messengers from among them and revealing Books to them, more so than any of the other previous nations.

Similarly, Allah said,

وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنَـهُمْ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عَلَى الْعَـلَمِينَ

And We chose them (the Children of Israel) over the Alamin, (nations) with knowledge. (44;32)

and,

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَـقَوْمِ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنْبِيَأءَ وَجَعَلَكُمْ مُّلُوكاً وَءَاتَـكُمْ مَّا لَمْ يُوْتِ أَحَداً مِّن الْعَـلَمِينَ

And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his people;"O my people! Remember the favor of Allah to you;when He made Prophets among you, made you kings, honored you above the Alamin (nations)." (5;20)

Abu Jafar Ar-Razi reported that Ar-Rabi bin Anas said that Abu Al-Aliyah said that Allah's statement,
وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
(and that I preferred you over the Alamin) means,

"The kingship, Messengers and Books that were granted to them, instead of granting such to the other kingdoms that existed during their time, for every period there is a nation."

It was also reported that Mujahid, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Qatadah and Ismail bin Abi Khalid said similarly.
The Ummah of Muhammad is Better than the Children of Israel

This is the only way the Ayah can be understood, because this Ummah is better than theirs, as Allah said;

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُوْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَـبِ لَكَانَ خَيْراً لَّهُمْ

You are the best of people ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin good and forbid evil, and you believe in Allah. And had the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) believed, it would have been better for them. (3;110)

Also, the Musnad and Sunan Collections of Hadith recorded that Muawiyah bin Haydah Al-Qushayri said that the Messenger of Allah said,

أَنْتُمْ تُوَفُّونَ سَبْعِينَ أُمَّةً أَنْتُمْ خَيْرُهَا وَأَكْرَمُهَا عَلَى الله

You (Muslims) are the seventieth nation, but you are the best and most honored of them according to Allah.

There are many Hadiths on this subject, and they will be mentioned when we discuss Allah's statement,
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ
(You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind), (3;110)