DAY 463: Baqarah 40-59

•  O Children of Isrā’īl (the Israelites), remember My blessing that I conferred upon you, and fulfill the covenant with Me, and I shall fulfill your covenant, and have awe of Me alone. And have faith in what I have revealed, confirming what is already with you, and do not be the first to deny it, nor take a paltry price for My verses. Fear Me alone. and do not confound truth with falsehood, and do not hide the truth when you know (it). And be steadfast in Salāh (prayer), and pay Zakāh, and bow down with those who bow down. Do you enjoin righteousness upon others while you ignore your own selves, although you keep reciting the Book? Have you then no sense? Seek help through patience and prayer. It is indeed exacting, but not for those who are humble in their hearts, who bear in mind that they are to meet their Lord, and that to Him they are to return. O Children of Isrā’īl (Israel), remember My blessing that I conferred upon you, and that I gave you excellence over the worlds; and guard yourselves against a day when no one shall stand for anyone in anything, nor shall intercession be accepted on anyone’s behalf, nor shall ransom be taken from him, and neither shall any be given support. (Remember) when We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh! They had been inflicting on you grievous torment, slaughtering your sons and leaving your women alive. In all that, there was a great trial from your Lord. And (recall) when We parted the sea for you; then We saved you, and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on! And when We appointed forty nights for Mūsā, then you took the calf (as God) thereafter, and you were unjust. Yet We pardoned you, even after that, so that you may show gratitude. Then We gave Mūsā the Book and the Criterion (of right and wrong), so that you may find the right path. When Mūsā said to his people: “My people, you have wronged yourselves by your taking the calf (as God). So, turn in repentance to your Creator, and slay yourselves. That will be better for you in the sight of your Creator”. Then, He accepted your repentance. Indeed He is the Most-Relenting, the Very-Merciful. When you said, “Mūsā, we will never believe you till we see Allah openly!” So, the thunderbolt took you while you were looking on. Then, We raised you up after your death, so that you might show gratitude. And We made the cloud give you shade, and sent down to you Mann and Salwā: “Eat of the good things We have provided to you”. And they (by their ingratitude) did Us no harm, but were harming only themselves. When We said, “Enter this town, and eat to your heart’s content wherever you wish in it; and enter the gate prostrating yourselves and say: HiTTah (we seek forgiveness), so that We forgive your errors. And We shall give much more to those who do good.” But those who were unjust substituted another word for the one that was prescribed for them. So, We sent down a scourge from heaven upon those who were unjust, because they had acted sinfully. 
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  After establishing the story of Adam (the template for all humanity), Allah now addresses a specific nation: the Children of Israel (Bani Israel).
  Why? Because they are the case study of a people who received clear guidance, made covenants with God, broke them repeatedly, and suffered the consequences. Their story is a warning to the Muslim community (and to you).
  
  40    Call to remember favors    Gratitude is the foundation of faith.
  41    Don't trade truth for cheap price    Truth is priceless. Don't sell it.
  42    Don't mix or conceal truth    Half-truths are whole lies.
  43    Prayer, charity, community    Faith is not solo.
  44    Don't advise what you don't practice    Hypocrisy destroys credibility.
  45–46    Patience + prayer for the humble    Arrogant people can't pray.
  47–48    No favors on Judgment Day    Your status means nothing there.
  49    Saved from Pharaoh    Remember who saved you.
  50    Parting of the sea    You saw a miracle and still doubted.
  51    Golden calf    The second the leader left, you failed.
  52    Forgiveness after idolatry    God forgave the unforgivable. Be grateful.
  53    Torah + criterion    You were given a standard.
  54    Repent by killing your ego    Real repentance is radical.
  55    Demanding to see God    Some people will never have enough evidence.
  
  The Children of Israel were saved from Pharaoh, fed from the sky, given a Book, and forgiven after idolatry — but their arrogance, hypocrisy, and twisting of God's words brought punishment after punishment, not because God is cruel, but because they kept wronging themselves.
  
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