section 26,

rejection of the signs and the
apostles from allah

211. " ask the children of israel how many clear signs we gave them;
and whosoever changes allah's blessing after it has come unto him,
then, verily allah is severe in retribution. "

commentary:
this verse points to the manner of the children of israel that how
they were entangled with the punishment of allah when they changed
the blessings of allah and showed ingratitude after having those clear
signs and divine favours.

" ask the children of israel how many clear signs we gave them;
and whosoever changes allah's blessing after it has come unto him,..."

the purpose of `change of blessing' is that one misuses the
blessings, favours, and material and spiritual sources of authority,
potentialities and talents that the one naturally has in his possession on
the path of destruction, deviation, transgression, and vicious actions.
allah gave the children of israel both spiritual trainees and powerful
leaders. he (s.w.t.) bestowed upon them all sorts of material and
spiritual facilities and possibilities, but they changed those bounties.
that behaviour they had, not only ruined their lives in this world, but
also causes that there will be waiting a painful chastisement for them in
the world to come.

"... then, verily allah is severe in retribution."

the problem of `change of blessing' and its painful resulting fate is
not conclusive to the israelites. at this very present age, the industrial
world is also entangled with this great adversity. the human race of
today has so much abundant and different bounties and facilities that no
period in the history has recorded the like of them for human kind. yet,
as a result of being distant from the heavenly instructions of prophets
and because of `change of blessing' , human beings of this age have
applied those bounties terribly alongside the way of their own
destruction. they have produced the most dangerous destructive
weapons out of them (those bounties) to ruin the world. or, they have
gained profits by misusing their own material natural potentialities for
the spread of transgression, oppression, exploitation, and have changed
the world into an insecure and unpeaceful site in all respects.

the initial phrase of the verse: "ask the children of israel" is, in
fact, for the reason that the blessing of allah be confessed by them,
and then, it be remarked why they were faced with that adversity: that
they scattered wandering in the world.