Hafiz soon
Al-Baqarah · 2:40

O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and fulfill My covenant [upon you] that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me], and be afraid of [only] Me.

Sahih International

Grammar, phrase by phrase

يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ

(O Children of Israel,)

Root بنيyes · 184 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

يَـٰبَنِىٓword 1

Vocative Particle · حرف نداءA vocative particle is a calling word like يَا 'O!' placed before a naming word to address someone directly. The prefix يَٰ here opens the call: 'O Children of Israel'. L4 · R8

Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, place, thing, or group. بَنِىٓ names the children — the sons and descendants — being addressed. L1 · R6

Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3

Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. The sound masculine plural carries its role in its ending — ـُونَ for the nominative (the 'subject form', with the ḍammah ـُ sound), ـِينَ for the accusative and genitive (the 'object' and 'of' forms); بَنِىٓ carries the ـِي of that ending, its ن dropped because the word is chained to 'Israel' in an 'of' pairing: 'Children OF Israel'. L2 · R6

Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the landed-on ending, usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. For this kind of plural the accusative shows itself instead in the ending ـِينَ, whose ن has here dropped away for the 'of' chain, leaving بَنِى: the called ones stand in that accusative role. L2 · R11

Vocative · المُنَادَىThe vocative is the person or group being called after يَا 'O!'. بَنِىٓ is that called one, formed by يَا plus the naming word: 'O Children…' — the whole nation of Israel's descendants addressed at once. L21 · R2

إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَword 2

Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word — it covers proper names. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is the proper name Israel. L1 · R6

Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the owner's ending in an 'of' phrase, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is a non-Arabic proper name, one of the partially flexible words that never take that kasrah and wear a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke ABOVE the last letter — in its place; the fathah ـَ you see on its لَ is this word's genitive dress. L2 · R14

Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the second — the owner — is always in the genitive, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is that owner-half of 'Children of Israel'; being a foreign proper name it shows the genitive with a fathah ـَ instead of the kasrah. L5 · R5

Significance — from the tafsir

Israel is Prophet Ya'qub (Jacob). Allah reminded the Children of Israel with the example of their father — as if saying, "O children of the pious, righteous servant of Allah who obeyed Allah! Be like your father, following the truth."

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40

ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ

(…remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you)

Root ذكرrecollection, admonition, remembrance · 292 times in the Quran

Root نعمto bestow favor, blessing; cattle, livestock; excellent · 140 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

ٱذْكُرُوا۟word 3

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱذْكُرُ names an action — remembering — from the root ذكر: recollection, admonition, remembrance. L1 · R7

Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱذْكُرُوا۟ shows that helping ٱ, commanding a group: 'remember!' — the ending وا۟ pointing the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on ٱذْكُرُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all' — those commanded to remember. L3 · R7

Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ on ٱذْكُرُوا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4

نِعْمَتِىَword 4

Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. نِعْمَتِ names a favor — a blessing — from the root نعم, to bestow favor, blessing. L1 · R6

Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she', typically marked by a ة at its end. The base word here is نِعْمَة 'favor', ending in that ة; when an ending is glued on, the ة is written as an open ت — the تِ you see in نِعْمَتِىَ. L2 · R1

Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. On نِعْمَتِىَ the last letter is claimed by the 'My' ending ىَ, so no fathah appears on the word itself — the accusative is the role it fills as what is to be remembered. L2 · R11

Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the thing the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. 'My favor' is what the remembering must land on; with the 'My' ending claiming the word's tail, the accusative here is the role rather than a visible mark. L9 · R3

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'my' glued onto the end of another word. The ending ىَ on نِعْمَتِىَ stands for 'My': 'MY favor'. L3 · R7

Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending ىَ 'My' is that owner glued onto نِعْمَتِ: 'the favor of Me'. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5

ٱلَّتِىٓword 5

Relative Pronoun · اسم موصولA relative pronoun is a word like 'which' that hooks a whole describing sentence onto a specific naming word, matching it in gender and number. ٱلَّتِىٓ is the form for one 'she'-word, matching نِعْمَة 'favor', and it hooks on the sentence 'I bestowed upon you'. L5 · R13

Adjective · صفةAn adjective is a describing word that comes after its noun. ٱلَّتِىٓ, with its clause 'which I bestowed upon you', follows 'My favor' and describes it, agreeing with it as one, feminine, and definite; its own written shape is fixed. L7 · R1

أَنْعَمْتُword 6

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أَنْعَمْ names an action — bestowing favor — from the root نعم, to bestow favor, blessing. L1 · R7

Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb carries its person marker as an ending glued to the verb's tail. On أَنْعَمْتُ that ending is تُ, the 'I' marker — note the sukūn ـْ, the small circle above the مْ, closing the verb before it — and the أَ at the front belongs to the verb's Form IV pattern, not to any present-tense prefix: 'I bestowed'. L8 · R2

Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is identified by a hamza added to the front of the root letters in the past tense, usually giving a causing sense. أَنْعَمْتُ opens with exactly that added hamza أَ before its root نعم: to CAUSE blessing to come upon someone — 'I bestowed'. L12 · R5

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending تُ on أَنْعَمْتُ is such a suffix, standing for 'I'. L3 · R7

Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending تُ on أَنْعَمْتُ is that doer, 'I' — Allah, the giver of the favor; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no separate ḍammah role-mark appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4

عَلَيْكُمْword 7

Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. عَلَيْ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8

Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. عَلَى 'on/upon', written عَلَيْ before its ending, is one of the common prepositions: bestowed 'upon you'. L4 · R2

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending كُمْ on عَلَيْكُمْ stands for 'you all' — those the favor came upon. L3 · R6

Significance — from the tafsir

Mujahid said Allah's favor to them was that He made water gush from stones, sent down manna and quails for them, and saved them from being enslaved by Pharaoh; Abu Al-'Aliyah said it was His sending Prophets and Messengers among them and revealing Books to them.

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40

So far: O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you

وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِىٓ

(…and fulfill My covenant [upon you])

Root وفيto fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully · 66 times in the Quran

Root عهدcovenant, treaty, oath, promise · 46 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

وَأَوْفُوا۟word 8

Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'and' that ties one command to another. The prefix وَ joins the command to fulfill onto the command to remember. L4 · R4

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أَوْفُ names an action — fulfilling — from the root وفي, to fulfill, pay in full, complete fully. L1 · R7

Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you'. أَوْفُوا۟ is that command form, telling a group 'fulfill!' — the ending وا۟ pointing the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1

Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is one whose root contains the weak letter و or ي — letters that love to soften or vanish. The root of أَوْفُ is وفي: its final weak ي has dropped away in this command shape, leaving the word one letter shorter than expected. L24 · R2

Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is identified by a hamza added to the front of the root letters, usually giving a causing sense. أَوْفُوا۟ opens with exactly that added hamza أَ before its root وفي: to carry fulfillment through completely — 'fulfill in full'. L12 · R5

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on وَأَوْفُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all'. L3 · R7

Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ on وَأَوْفُوا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4

بِعَهْدِىٓword 9

Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ ties the fulfilling to its object: fulfill 'My covenant'. L4 · R2

Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. عَهْدِ names a covenant, from the root عهد — covenant, treaty, oath, promise. L1 · R6

Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3

Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. عَهْدِ carries that kasrah ـِ because بِ stands before it. L2 · R12

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'my' glued onto the end of another word. The ending ىٓ on بِعَهْدِىٓ stands for 'My': 'MY covenant'. L3 · R7

Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending ىٓ 'My' is that owner glued onto عَهْدِ: 'the covenant of Me'. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5

Significance — from the tafsir

Abu Al-'Aliyah said His covenant with His servants is to embrace Islam and adhere to it; others said it is what Allah took from them in the Tawrah — that He would send a great Prophet from the offspring of Isma'il, obeyed by all peoples.

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40

أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ

(…that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me],)

Root وفيto fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully · 66 times in the Quran

Root عهدcovenant, treaty, oath, promise · 46 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

أُوفِword 10

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أُوفِ names an action — fulfilling — from the root وفي, to fulfill, pay in full, complete fully. L1 · R7

Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb is identified by one of the four prefix letters remembered as أَنَيْتُ. أُوفِ opens with the hamza prefix — the 'I' letter — standing before the root letters: 'I will fulfill'. L8 · R3

Jussive Mood · الفعل المجزومThe jussive is the trimmed-down mood of a present tense verb, usually marked by a sukūn ـْ — a small circle above the final letter. On a verb whose root ends in a weak letter the trim removes that letter instead: أُوفِ has lost its final ي, ending at the kasrah ـِ — the small stroke below the ف — that marks the cut. The trimmed form here carries the promise answering the command: fulfill My covenant, then I fulfill yours. L10 · R5

Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters, and those weak letters love to vanish. The root of أُوفِ is وفي; its final ي is dropped here, and the kasrah ـِ — the small stroke below the ف — is the fingerprint the deleted letter left behind. L24 · R8

Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb adds a hamza to the front of its root in the past tense; in the present tense this family shows itself by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl — on the person prefix. The أُ opening أُوفِ carries exactly that ḍammah: the 'fulfill in full' verb, now promised by Allah Himself. L12 · R7

بِعَهْدِكُمْword 11

Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ ties the fulfilling to its object: 'your covenant'. L4 · R2

Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. عَهْدِ names a covenant, from the root عهد — covenant, treaty, oath, promise. L1 · R6

Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3

Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. عَهْدِ carries that kasrah ـِ because بِ stands before it. L2 · R12

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'your' glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُمْ on بِعَهْدِكُمْ stands for 'you all': 'YOUR covenant'. L3 · R7

Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending كُمْ 'you all' is that owner glued onto عَهْدِ: 'the covenant of you'. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5

Significance — from the tafsir

Ibn 'Abbas said, "'I fulfill My obligations to you' means, 'I (Allah) will be pleased with you and admit you into Paradise.'" As-Suddi, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Al-'Aliyah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said similarly.

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40

So far: O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and fulfill My covenant [upon you] that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me],

وَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ

(…and be afraid of [only] Me.)

Root رهبto fear, to dread, awe · 12 times in the Quran

Grammar — lesson evidence

وَإِيَّـٰىَword 12

Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word meaning 'and' that ties one statement to another. The prefix وَ joins this final charge to the commands before it. L4 · R4

Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA detached pronoun is a standalone word for 'I / you / he'. إِيَّا is the special detached pronoun used when the one an action lands on is announced before the action itself, and the ـٰىَ fastened to it specifies who: 'Me'. Placed first like this, it carries the force of 'Me alone'. L3 · R5

Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one an action lands on. Arabic normally puts the action-word first; announcing the object before it — إِيَّٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ, 'Me — so fear' — signals emphasis and exclusivity, restricting the fear to Allah alone. L9 · R6

فَٱرْهَبُونِword 13

Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word; فَ means 'and then / so', joining what follows in close sequence. The prefix فَ fastens the command 'fear' tightly onto the fronted 'Me alone'. L4 · R4

Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱرْهَبُ names an action — fearing — from the root رهب, to fear, to dread, awe. L1 · R7

Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱرْهَبُ shows that helping ٱ, commanding a group: 'fear!'. L10 · R1

Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. فَٱرْهَبُونِ carries two: the و standing for 'you all', those commanded, and the closing نِ standing for 'me' — the One to be feared. L3 · R7

Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The و in فَٱرْهَبُونِ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4

Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. The closing نِ of فَٱرْهَبُونِ stands for 'me': the fear is to land on Allah alone. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no fathah appears — the accusative is the role it fills. L9 · R5

Significance — from the tafsir

Ibn 'Abbas said this means, "Fear the torment that I might exert on you, just as I did with your fathers." The Ayah contains encouragement followed by warning: Allah first called the Children of Israel with encouragement, then warned them, so that they might return to the Truth.

Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40

So far: O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and fulfill My covenant [upon you] that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me], and be afraid of [only] Me.