Nations of the QuranA group of the Quran

The people of the Sabbath

أصحاب السبت

A town of the Children of Israel by the sea that broke the Sabbath by a trick, and was turned into apes.

Their story

The Quran tells of a town of the Children of Israel by the sea, forbidden to fish on the Sabbath. The fish came to them in plenty on that day and stayed away on the others, a trial for their disobedience (7:163). Those who defied the command were told to be apes, despised (7:166; 2:65).

As-Sa'di explains that they dug pits and set nets so that the fish were caught on the Sabbath and taken out the next day. The people split three ways: those who did it; those who openly forbade it; and those who stopped warning them, saying Allah would destroy them anyway. Those who forbade the wrong were saved; as-Sa'di thinks the silent group was saved too, since they hated the deed and only the wrongdoers are named as punished.

Evidence

QuranAl-A'raaf (The Heights)Quran 7:163

وَسْـَٔلْهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلَّتِى كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ ٱلْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِى ٱلسَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ ١٦٣

And ask them about the town that was by the sea - when they transgressed in [the matter of] the sabbath - when their fish came to them openly on their sabbath day, and the day they had no sabbath they did not come to them. Thus did We give them trial because they were defiantly disobedient.

Saheeh International · QuranEnc v1.1.2

Another translation: Al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan · QuranEnc v1.1.2

163. And ask them (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them, for they used to rebel against Allâh’s Command (disobey Allâh) [see the Qur’ân: V.4:154 and its footnote].

Read in context on Quran.com

QuranAl-A'raaf (The Heights)Quran 7:166

فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا۟ عَن مَّا نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا۟ قِرَدَةً خَـٰسِـِٔينَ ١٦٦

So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, "Be apes, despised."

Saheeh International · QuranEnc v1.1.2

Another translation: Al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan · QuranEnc v1.1.2

166. So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited, We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected."[13]

[13] (V.7:166) It is a severe warning to the mankind that they should not disobey what Allâh commands them to do, and keep far away from what He prohibits them.* * See the footnote of (V.9: 112).

Read in context on Quran.com

Scholarly opinionas-Sa'di's tafsir on al-A'raf 7:163–166 (islamweb library)islamweb.net

Report an error on this page