وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱعْتَدَوْا۟ مِنكُمْ فِى ٱلسَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا۟ قِرَدَةً خَـٰسِـِٔينَ 65
Translations
And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised."
Transliteration
Wa-laqad 'alimtum alladhīna 'atadays min-kum fī as-sabti fa-qulnā lahum kūnū qiradan khāsī'īn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the Jews of Medina who violated the Sabbath prohibition by fishing on Saturday, a test from Allah to observe His commandment. As a consequence, Allah transformed them into apes (قردة - qiradah), a humiliating punishment that served as both a deterrent and a sign of divine justice. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this transformation as a literal change in form as punishment for their arrogance and deliberate transgression after clear knowledge of the law.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a passage addressing the Children of Israel and their violations of the Torah's Sabbath laws. It was revealed in Medina after the Prophet's migration, in the context of instructing the Muslim community about the consequences of breaking divine commands and the historical precedents of those who did so. The broader context (2:63-66) discusses various transgressions of the Israelites and divine punishments.
Related Hadiths
The incident is referenced in various hadith collections discussing the prohibition of work on the Sabbath. See also Sunan Ibn Majah and Tafsir traditions where scholars discuss the nature of this punishment and its historical occurrence among the Bani Isra'il.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that deliberate violation of God's clear commandments, especially after possessing knowledge and being given opportunity to obey, carries severe consequences. It reminds believers to take divine warnings seriously and to guard against arrogance that leads us to rationalize or circumvent God's laws for worldly gain.