ARAF 163-166 | aamsaafank's Blog

ARAF 163-166

163- AND ASK THEM ABOUT THE TOWN ON THE SEA, AS THEY TRANSGRESSED ON THE SABBATH, AS THEIR FISH CAME TO THEM MANIFESTLY ON THEIR SABBATH, AND ON OTHER DAYS, THEY DID NOT COME. THIS IS HOW WE TRY THEM AND PUNISH THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR WICKED DOINGS. 

164- AND AS A GROUP OF THEM SAID: “WHY DO YOU ADVICE PEOPLE ALLAH WILL PERISH, OR PUNISH A SEVERE PUNISHMENT?”  THEY SAID: “AN EXCUSE BEFORE YOUR LORD, AND SO THAT THEY MIGHT BECOME PIOUS”. 

165- BUT WHEN THEY FORGOT WHAT THEY WERE REMINDED OF, WE RESCUED THOSE WHO FORBID EVIL, AND IN THE MEANTIME WE TOOK THE TRANSGRESSORS WITH TERRIBLE PUNISHMENT, BECAUSE OF THEIR WICKED DEEDS.

166- FOR, WHEN THEY ACTED ARROGANTLY CONCERNING WHAT THEY WERE FORBIDDEN TO DO, WE SAID TO THEM: “BECOME APES IN HUMILIATION”.

In this incident in the History of the Children of Israel, which was discussed in detail in Sorah Al-Baqarah, Allah the Highest, tried some of them who were living in a town by the sea.  Some scholars say that it was Eilat.  Its people lived by fishing, but they were wicked and evil doers.  They pretended, to adhere to some aspects of their Faith, including the Sabbath, the day when they are not supposed to do any work.

Because of their wickedness, Allah the Highest, sent them a test and trial they were bound to fail.  This is a manifestation of Allah’s anger with them.  Their test was that they could not find fish in the sea during the week days, while on the Sabbath, there were plenty of fish in the sea, and they could see the fish manifestly. 

The Children of Israel in that town were divided into 3 groups according to what they did:

1-    Those who went on fishing on the Sabbath.

2-    Those who did not fish on the Sabbath, but did not advise the others against fishing on that day.

3-    Those who did not fish on the Sabbath and advised those who did, strongly against fishing on that day.

Although the second group did not break the Jewish law, they did not fulfil their duty of telling others about the wrong they are doing.  Advising people to do what is right and not to do what is wrong, is one of the most important principles of Islam, even before the prophecy of Mohamed, prayer and peace upon him.

The third group fulfilled their role as believers.  They did not do wrong themselves, and in the meantime, they also fulfilled another function, which is to advise and forbid the wrong doing and advice against it, when they see it, or know about it.

Allah the Highest described their disobedience as being due to:

1-    Forgetting what they were reminded of.  This kind of forgetting is what we call ignoring.

2-    Acting arrogantly concerning what they were forbidden.   When people act arrogantly, they think that they cannot do wrong and if they do, they are above reproach.

The Children of Israel were guilty of both wrong deeds.  As for the punishment, it matched the sin.  They had a terrible punishment, and they were also humiliated by being turned into apes. 

We should be aware, that our punishments from Allah the Highest, are often of a similar kind to our sins, and our rewards, are also of a similar kind to our good deeds.