Who are the “children of Israel”? They are the sons of Jacob (Ya’qup) (PBUH) and Jacob is the father of Joseph (Yusuf) (PBUH), who had twelve Descendants (Assbat) – the grandsons- and Jacob is a descendant of Isaac (Isshaq) (PBUH), whose father is Abraham (Ibrahim) (PBUH). The Descendants are twelve, and each of them formed an offspring as a specific tribe, so when Allah (swt) says:
(… وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا …) (…and We delegated from among them twelve leaders.…): That is, for every Descendant (Subt) there is a leader, who leads the believe and religious work, not only concern with the material matters.
(… وَقَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ …) (…And Allah said, “I am with you. …): I am with you, I support you, I have mercy on you, I forgive you, and I admit you to Paradise, in case:
(… لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ وَآمَنتُم بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا …) (. If you establish prayer and give zakah and believe in My messengers and support them and loan Allah a goodly loan,.. ): Establishing prayer is not the same as performing prayer. Establishing prayer with its conditions and pillars, with the presence of the heart and reverence when standing before the Creator (swt). Prayer is a relation with the Creator and a connection with the creation as well, that is, you must adhere to all moral values with the creation of Allah (swt) that all the heavenly messages brought.
(… وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ …) (…and give zakah …): Allah (swt) regulates the economic movement of people, and giving zakat is the second pillar of Islam. He (swt) wants zakat to be a deed, not just a payment, Allah (swt) says:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ (1) الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ (2) وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ (3) وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ
(Certainly will the believers have succeeded: (2) They who are during their prayer humbly submissive (3) And they who turn away from ill speech (4) And they who are observant of zakah) (Al-Muminoon: 1-4)
The act of zakat means that you work according to your ability and not according to your needs. If you work as much as you can, you serve people by your zakat.
(… وَآمَنتُم بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ …) (…and believe in My messengers and support them …): No faith without Believing in the Messengers of Allah (swt). The Children of Israel killed a lot of Prophets.
(… وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا …) (…and loan Allah a goodly loan,…): A good loan is a loan which is not followed up with reminders of it or by an injury, for with this loan you are aiming to please of Allah (swt), The rich, whose properties are endless, rather than His creation. What is meant here by a loan are alms and gifts that a person must make towards widows, the needy, orphans, the poor, the needy and those with needs in societies.
(… لَّأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ …) (…I will surely remove from you your misdeeds and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow.…): When you do what was mentioned above, the reward will be by two things: Erase the sins and cover them, second, admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow in Paradise.
( فَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ … ) (But whoever of you disbelieves after that has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.”…): That is, after all the clear signs come, and after the Messengers come, whoever disbelieves after that among you has strayed from the path that leads to the gardens of eternity.