Quran

Any servant who does righteous deeds, follows Allah's commands, and observes His prohibitions, it is for his own benefit that he performed these righteous deeds, seeking salvation for his soul from Allah’s punishment. He obeyed his Lord for nothing other than that, and his deeds will not benefit anyone else but him, since Allah is in no need of the deeds of anyone. (And whoever does an evil deed, it is to his own loss), whoever does evil in worldly life by disobeying Allah, disregarding His commands and prohibitions, it is to his own loss because he ruined himself, deserved Allah’s wrath, and harmed no one but himself. Al-Tabari: 22/68.
Question: Allah links the good deeds and evil ones to the one who performs them. Why?

This verse contains a warning to the Muslim Ummah as well. It warns them not to take the path the Jews took nor adopt their ways. Ibn Kathir: 4/152.
Question: What lesson should we, Muslims, learn from these two verses about the Children of Israel?

Every mention of favoring the Children of Israel in the Quran refers to the past, because they denied and rejected the Quran at the time of its revelation, as Allah says, (But when there came to them what they recognize [to be true], they rejected it. May the curse of Allah be upon the disbelievers) [2:89]. It is well known that Allah did not mention favoring them except with regard to the past, and not during the revelation of the Quran. Al-Shanqiti: 7/198-199.
Question: Explain the favoring of the Children of Israel above all others.

Meaning: Envying the Prophet (ﷺ). It is said that (transgression), they wronged each other over worldly glory and headship. Moreover, they have killed their Prophets. Similarly, when the clear directions in matters of religion came to the polytheists of your time, O Muhammad, they turned away to rival in headship. Al-Qurtubi: 19/153.
Question: What was the transgression they did?

Allah said that He had put the Children of Israel on a clear way of the religion, and warned them not to differ about it, thus, it became a warning to us also as Allah declares the superiority of our Sharia, and says, (Then We put you [O Prophet] on a clear way of the religion; so follow it). Al-Biqai: 7/100.
Question: What is the link between this verse (Then We put you [O Prophet] on a clear way of the religion) and the previous verses?

Allah singles out those who are certain in faith with an insight, a guidance and mercy, because they are the ones who benefited from the Quran, and not the disbelievers who denied it, thus, it is upon them blindness and sorrow. Al-Tabari: 22/72.
Question: Allah made the Quran an insight, a guidance and mercy for people who are certain in faith. Why?

Ibrahim bin Al-Ash'ath said: I often saw Fudhail bin Iyadh repeating this verse and similar verses to it throughout the night; then he used to say: I wonder, among which group will I be? Moreover, this verse has a weeping effect on worshipers. Al-Qurtubi: 19/157.
Question: How did the righteous predecessors interact with this verse?