Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:211

(Ask the Children of Israel) – This is a command to the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as is the original intent of address, or to anyone who is capable of asking. The objective of this question is to rebuke and reproach them for their tyranny and their denial of the Truth after the signs had become clear, not for them to provide an answer so that information may be gained from it—just as one of us, when wanting to rebuke someone, might say to those present, "Ask him how many favors I have bestowed upon him."

The connection of this verse to the preceding one is that if the pronoun in (Do they wait) refers to the People of the Scripture, then this is like evidence for it; and if it refers to those whom (you admire), then it is an explanation of the state of the stubborn ones among the People of the Scripture after explaining the state of the hypocrites among the idolaters.

(How many a clear sign have We given them) – That is, an apparent mark, which are the miracles indicating the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as stated by al-Hasan and Mujahid. The specification of bestowing miracles upon the People of the Scripture, despite its generality for all, is because they are more knowledgeable than others regarding miracles and how they indicate truthfulness, due to their knowledge of the miracles of previous prophets.

It may also be that "sign" (ayah) is intended in its conventional meaning, referring to a portion of the Quran or otherwise, and "clear" (bayyinah) is derived from "to be distinct" (bana) in its transitive sense. Thus, the question concerns the granting of signs that contain the description of the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the verification of his prophethood, and the confirmation of what he brought.

(How many) is either descriptive (khabariyyah), and the object of the question is omitted; the sentence is initial (ibtida’iyyah) with no place in syntax, established for the sake of their deserving reproach, as if it were said: "Ask the Children of Israel about their tyranny and denial of the Truth after it became clear, for We have given them many clear signs." The claim that the sentence must be disconnected in this interpretation is a fallacy. Or, it is interrogative, and the sentence is in the position of the second object of "Ask." It is also said it is in the position of the verbal noun—meaning, "Ask them this question"—or in the position of a state (hal)—meaning, "Ask them while saying: 'How many have We given them?'" The interrogation is for confirmation (taqrir), meaning to compel the addressee to acknowledge; it is also said to be for verification and establishment. This was objected to on the grounds that the meaning of reproach is disapproval and distancing, which does not harmonize with verification. It was answered that the reproach is for their denial of the Truth and their rejection of it—which is compatible with the bestowal of signs—not for the bestowal itself such that it would be contradictory.

Its place is the accusative as the second object of "We gave them" (ataynahum), and it is not a case of "occupation" (ishtighal) as some mistakenly think, nor is it nominative as an initial (mubtada’) based on the omission of the referent (the estimate being "We gave them them"), which is weak according to Sibawayh.

(A sign) is a specifier (tamyiz), and (min) is a connector (silah) brought to distinguish between "sign" being the object of "We gave" and its being a specifier for "how many." It is mandatory to bring it in such a position. Al-Radi said: "When there is separation between the descriptive 'how many' and its specifier by a transitive verb, it is mandatory to bring 'min' so that the specifier is not confused with the object of that verb, such as (How many gardens they left) and (How many a town We destroyed). The status of the interrogative 'how many' whose specifier is genitive with separation is like the status of the descriptive 'how many' in all that we have mentioned." It is related that he denied the "extra" nature of 'min' in the specifier of the interrogative, which is interpreted as [it being 'extra'] only when there is no separation, not absolutely; thus, there is no contradiction between his two statements.

(And whoever alters the favor of Allah) – That is, His signs, for they are the cause of guidance, which is the greatest of favors. This is a case of placing the explicit noun in place of the pronoun without using the previous word, in order to glorify the signs. Altering them means distorting them, providing deviant interpretations of them, or making them a cause for misguidance and an increase in filth. Under both interpretations, there is no omission in the verse. Abu Hayyan said: The preposition is omitted from "favor," and it is the second object of "alters," the estimate being "whoever alters the favor of Allah into disbelief," and he pointed to this by the arrangement of the conditional response upon it; there is in this what is hidden.

It has been recited: "wa man yubaddil" with the softening [of the hamzah].

(After it has come to him) – That is, reached him and he became able to know it. The benefit of this addition, even if the alteration of signs is absolutely blameworthy, is to expose them for having altered them after they had comprehended them. In this is a great degradation of them, a proclamation of the ugliness of their state, and an argument for their deserving of severe punishment, since they altered them after knowledge. By this, the apparent confusion is dispelled—that alteration can only happen after it has come, so what is the benefit of mentioning it?

(For indeed, Allah is severe in penalty) – This is a justification for the response, standing in its place; the estimate is: "And whoever alters the favor of Allah, He will punish him with a severe penalty because He is severe in penalty." It is also possible that it is the response itself, with the assumption of the pronoun, meaning: "severe in penalty for him." The expression of the majestic Name is for the sake of cultivating awe and inspiring terror.