Changed
to Apes References
The
Israelites were required to keep the Sabbath (Saturday) as a sign between Allah
and them throughout the generations for a perpetual covenant. Six days may work be done: whosoever does any
work in the Sabbath Day, he shall surely be put to death." (Exodus,
231:12-17.) But when the Israelites
became corrupt morally and religiously, they began to desecrate it openly and
began to do business on the Sabbath.
Each Sabbath day the fish appeared in abundance before them on the
surface of the water but did not appear at all on other days than Sabbath. Allah puts His servants to trial in many
ways. When He sees that some of the are
turning away from obedience to His law, and are growing more and more prone to
disobedience, He opens the doors of disobedience before them by holding out
such temptations as are very alluring to these people. Thus their evil intentions openly come to the
surface and they commit such crimes from which they had refrained only for the
lack of necessary opportunities for them.
There were
three kinds of people in that town.
First, there were those who openly and boldly violating the Divine rules
and regulations. Then there were some
who did not violate the laws themselves but silently saw others violating them:
they told admonishers that it was no good to give any piece of advice to those
hardened law breakers. Lastly, there
were others who were so much imbued with the sense of honor and courage that
they could not tolerate such open violations of the Divine Law. They enjoined the law breakers to practice
virtue and refrain from evil in the hope that they would return to the
The scourge
from Allah was set to that township in two installments. The first has been called “a severe scourge”. The second was “Be apes”. In our opinion, the scourge in the first case
was inflicted on both the first and the second groups, but in the second case
it was inflicted on the first group only.
(And Allah knows the best). Some
are of the opinion that they were physically transformed into apes while others
hold that from that time onward they began to behave like apes. The words of the Quran, however, indicate
that it was a physical metamorphosis.
Their bodies were transformed into those of apes, but their human minds
were left intact in order to subject them to extreme torture.
References: Al-Baqara 2:65 Al-Ma'idah 5:60 Al-'araaf
7:162-166
And ask
them about the township which was situated on the sea shore.EN7:122 Remind them of what befell its
people who used to break the Sabbath (Saturday), Each Sabbath-day the fish
appeared in abundance before them on the surface of the waterEN7:123 but did not appear at all on other
days than Sabbath. This was because We
were putting them to test on account of the acts of disobedience they did.EN7:124 7:163
EN7:122 The research scholars are of the opinion that the place refers to Ailah
or Elat or Elote where the modern Jewish state of Israel has constructed a
seaport of the same name and near which is situated Jordan's famous seaport of
Aqabah. It is at the end of that long
inlet of the
EN7:123 Sabbath (Saturday) is the Holy day of the week. The Lord made Saturday the Sabbath day for
the Jews, saying, "Verily my Sabbaths ye will keep: for it is a sign
between Me and you throughout your generations…every one that defileth it
shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul
shall be cutoff from among his people…whereof the children of Israel
shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations,
for a perpetual covenant (Exodus 31:12-16).
But, in spite of this Commandment that held out the punishment of death
for any worldly work - from burning fire in the houses to taking any service
from animals or slaves, the Israelites had begun to practice open violation of
this law. During the time of Prophet
Jeremiah (628-586 B.C.), they used to carry in loads through the gates of
EN7:124 Allah puts His servants to trial in many ways. When He sees that some of the are turning
away from obedience to His law, and are growing more and more prone to
disobedience, He opens the doors of disobedience before them by holding out
such temptations as are very alluring to these people. Thus their evil intentions openly come to the
surface and they commit such crimes from which they had refrained only for the
lack of necessary opportunities for them.
Also
remind them that when some people from among them asked the others the answer
that was given by some of them, "Why do you admonish those people whom
Allah is about to destroy or punish severely?" they replied, "We
admonish them in order to be able to offer an excuse before your Lord and we
also hope that they might refrain from disobedience to Him." 7:164
However,
when they totally forgot the teachings they were reminded of, We saved those
who used to forbid evil, and seized with a severe scourge all others who were
transgressors, because of the acts of disobedience they did.EN7:125
7:165
EN7:125 This shows that there were three kinds of people in that town. First, there were those who openly and boldly
violating the Divine rules and regulations.
Then there were some who did not violate the laws themselves but
silently saw others violating them: they told admonishers that it was no good
to give any piece of advice to those hardened law breakers. Lastly, there were others who were so much
imbued with the sense of honor and courage that they could not tolerate such
open violations of the Divine Law. They
enjoined the law breakers to practice virtue and refrain from evil in the hope
that they would return to the
Besides
this, it appears from the verses under discussion that the scourge from Allah
was set to that township in two installments.
The first has been called “a
severe scourge”. The second
was “Be apes”. In our
opinion, the scourge in the first case was inflicted on both the first and the
second groups, but in the second case it was inflicted on the first group
only. (And Allah knows the best).
But when
even after this they disdainfully persisted in that from which they were forbidden,
We said to them, "Become apes - despised and disgraced!"EN7:126 7:166
EN7:126 please refer to EN2:83.
And you
know well the story of those among you who broke the Sabbath.EN2:82 He said to them, "Be apes -
despised and hated by all."EN2:83Thus, we made their end a warning to
the people of their time and to succeeding generations, and an admonition foe
God-fearing people. 2:65
EN2:82 The Israelites were required to keep the Sabbath (Saturday) as "a
sign between me and you throughout the generations" for a perpetual
covenant. "Six days may work be
done: whosoever does any work in the Sabbath Day, he shall surely be put to
death." (Exodus, 231:12-17.) But when
the Israelites became corrupt morally and religiously, they began to desecrate
it openly and began to do business on the Sabbath.
EN2:83 The incident has been described in detail in 7:163-166. Some are of the opinion that they were
physically transformed into apes while others hold that from that time onward
they began to behave like apes. The
words of the Quran, however, indicate that it was a physical
metamorphosis. Their bodies were
transformed into those of apes, but their human minds were left intact in order
to subject them to extreme torture.
Then
say, "Should I inform you of those, who will have seen worse recompense
from Allah than the transgressors?" They are those whom Allah has cursed;
who have been under His wrath; some of whom were turned into apes and swine;
who worshipped taghut; those are the people who are in far worse plight and who
have turned farthest away from the