سُوْرَةُ الشُّعَرَآءِ

Surah Ash-Shu'araa (26) — Ayah 22

The Poets · Meccan · Juz 19 · Page 368

وَتِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَىَّ أَنْ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ﴿22﴾
"And this is the past favour with which you reproach me: that you have enslaved the Children of Israel."
وَتِلْكَ watil'ka And this
نِعْمَةٌۭ niʿ'matun (is the) favor
تَمُنُّهَا tamunnuhā with which you reproach
عَلَىَّ ʿalayya [on] me
أَنْ an that
عَبَّدتَّ ʿabbadtta you have enslaved
بَنِىٓ banī (the) Children of Israel
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is'rāīla (the) Children of Israel

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 22) {وَ تِلْكَ نِعْمَةٌ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَيَّ …:} This is the answer to his previous objection, meaning: How can you remind me of this favor today, that you raised me in your house, when the reason for it was your own oppression and tyranny? If you had not enslaved the Children of Israel and started killing their sons, I would have been raised in my own home. Why would my mother have needed to put me in a box and set me afloat in the river, and in this way I would have ended up in your house?

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

1. That is, this is the favor you are reminding me of, that you certainly did not make me a slave and left me free, but you have enslaved my entire nation. In comparison to this great oppression, what value does this favor ultimately have?

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

And is this the favor you remind me of—that you have enslaved the Children of Israel [15]?

[15] And the answer to your first statement is that the reason I was raised in your house was precisely because you people would not let the sons of Bani Israel live. You used to slaughter them. If this had not been the case, why would my mother have placed me in a box and cast me into the river? Then, by Allah’s power, that very box reached you. If you had not inflicted such oppression upon Bani Israel, could my parents not have raised me themselves? You wish to hide your years of oppression behind the favor of raising me? It is to deliver Bani Israel from these very oppressions and your enslavement that Allah, the Lord of all worlds, has sent me as a prophet to you.