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PART 1️⃣: Enjoining Allaah’s Commands
n the Qur’an, Allaah (ﷻ) informed us about the sabbath breakers, Allaah says:
وَسۡـَٔلۡهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلَّتِي كَانَتۡ حَاضِرَةَ ٱلۡبَحۡرِ إِذۡ يَعۡدُونَ فِي ٱلسَّبۡتِ إِذۡ تَأۡتِيهِمۡ حِيتَانُهُمۡ يَوۡمَ سَبۡتِهِمۡ شُرَّعٗا وَيَوۡمَ لَا يَسۡبِتُونَ لَا تَأۡتِيهِمۡۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبۡلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡسُقُونَ(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 a trial because they were defiantly disobedient.
Allaah (ﷻ) tells us the story of a people who were by the sea, a people who were in a village called Aylah between Madyan and At-Tur (which is in Sinai), who devised a plan to “trick” Allaah (ﷻ), thereby breaking their pledge and their covenant to observe the sanctity of the Sabbath (the prohibition of fishing on Saturdays).
Amazingly, the fish used to expose itself openly on Saturdays and disappear on the other days of the week. The people of the village began using deceitful means to avoid honoring the Sabbath by placing nets, ropes and artificial pools of water for the purpose of fishing before the Sabbath.
When the fish came in abundance on Saturday as usual, they were caught in the ropes and nets for the rest of Saturday. During the night, the Jews collected the fish after the Sabbath ended.
Allaah (ﷻ) tells us that the people of this village were divided into three groups; a group that dishonored the covenant, catching fish on the Sabbath, another group that prohibited them from transgression and avoided them and a third group that neither prohibited them nor participated in their action.
The third group said to the preachers:
“Why do you forbid these people from evil, when you know that they are destroyed and have earned Allaah’s punishment? There is no benefit in forbidding them.”
The preachers replied,
“In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allaah) for we were commanded to enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, for on account of our advice, they might stop this evil and repent to Allaah. Certainly, if they repent to Allaah, Allaah will accept their repentance and grant them His mercy.”
When the evil doers refused the advice, Allaah (ﷻ) rescued those who forbade evil, but seized those who committed the transgression with a severe torment.
Allaah (ﷻ) changed the evildoers from humans into monkeys, the animals having the form closest to humans. Their evil deeds and deceit appeared lawful on the surface, but they were in reality wicked. This is why their punishment was compatible with their crime.
Allaah (ﷻ) says He punished the people so their punishment will serve as a deterrent for their successors. The torment and punishment that the village suffered was a result of indulging in Allaah’s prohibitions and their deceit. Hence, those who have Taqwa should be aware of their evil behavior, so that what occurred to this village does not befall them as well.
Allaah (ﷻ) stated that those who enjoined good were saved, while those who committed the transgression were destroyed, but He did not mention the end of those who were passive (the third group), for the compensation is comparable to the deed. This type did not do what would warrant praise, nor commit wrong so that they are admonished.
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer – Surah Al-A’raaf)
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