Today's Reflection (Ayah 40, Surah Al-Baqarah)

  يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ

 O Children of Israel! Remember My blessings which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill your pledge to Me, and I will fulfill My pledge to you, and fear Me.(Quran 2:40)

This ayah is for the tribe Bani Israel (The lineage of Yaqoob A.S ). Allah says remember the favors which I have bestowed upon you. There were numerous favors that Allah had bestowed upon them like they were blessed with the Deen, there were thousands of prophets who were from this lineage, they were given the holy books by Allah etc. Allah says to them you have forgotten My favors upon you , remember that, recall that. Fulfill your promise ( the covenant they took to follow the Prophet Muhammed(SAW)) and I will fulfill My promise(to enter you to jannah). 

Then in the last part of the ayah Allah says fear me only, fear Me when you not fulfill your promise, From Me for the punishments that i give to the disbelievers.

From this ayah we should understand that in this world Allah has preferred some over the other, some are given wealth in abundance, some are given success, some are given immense beauty, some are given high intellect etc and SubhanAllah . As Allah mentions in this ayah of the Quran: ((Surah Nahl ayah 71)

‎وَاللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فِي الرِّزْقِ ۚ فَمَا الَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا بِرَادِّي رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَىٰ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ 

‎ۚ أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ

71. And Allah has favored some of you over others in provision. But those who were favored would not hand over their provision to those whom their right hands possess so they would be equal to them therein. Then is it the favor of Allah they reject?

Allah has wisdom behind everything He does and we cannot justify it. When we accept the fact that this is how Allah has created us and there is his blessing hidden behind it, we become content with who we are and what we have. Even some of the prophets over the others.as mentioned in this ayat from Surah Baqarah Ayah 253:

‎تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ ۗ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَلَٰكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَفَرَ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ

253. Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degree. And We gave Jesus, the Son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Pure Spirit. If Allah had willed, those [generations] succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them disbelieved. And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends.

We have been tested differently according to our abilities, so bear patience in every situation. He has given us a very special tool as believers that is Dua , it can change our faith. Even if Allah has given us every thing, we would still need some thing, so is our nature as human beings ..Allah created us that way and this keeps us humble. 

Here when Allah says remember my favors to Bani Israel, it also means be grateful for His favors. Now remember this, this is for us too. Be grateful for His favors upon us and use his blessings in the best way to please Him alone.

Here we understand that even though we have been sent to this world with different abilities and strength and weaknesses but the goal of whole mankind should be the same, to seek please of Allah and to reach Jannah so that we could All witness the sight of Allah.