Surah Al Araf Ayat 163-164-165-166 Translation Tafseer

Para 9 - قَالَ الْمَلَاُ

سورة الاعراف

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بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

7.163-164-165-166

وَ سْــٴَـلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْیَةِ الَّتِیْ كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِۘ-اِذْ یَعْدُوْنَ فِی السَّبْتِ اِذْ تَاْتِیْهِمْ حِیْتَانُهُمْ یَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَّ یَوْمَ لَا یَسْبِتُوْنَۙ-لَا تَاْتِیْهِمْۚۛ-كَذٰلِكَۚۛ-نَبْلُوْهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوْا یَفْسُقُوْنَٜ (163) وَ اِذْ قَالَتْ اُمَّةٌ مِّنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُوْنَ قَوْمَاۙﰳ اللّٰهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ اَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِیْدًاؕ-قَالُوْا مَعْذِرَةً اِلٰى رَبِّكُمْ وَ لَعَلَّهُمْ یَتَّقُوْنَ(164) فَلَمَّا نَسُوْا مَا ذُكِّرُوْا بِهٖۤ اَنْجَیْنَا الَّذِیْنَ یَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوْٓءِ وَ اَخَذْنَا الَّذِیْنَ ظَلَمُوْا بِعَذَابٍۭ بَىٕیْسٍۭ بِمَا كَانُوْا یَفْسُقُوْنَ (165) فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَنْ مَّا نُهُوْا عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُوْنُوْا قِرَدَةً خٰسِىٕیْنَ(166)

Kanz-ul-Irfan

Ask them ˹Dear Beloved Prophet˺ about ˹the people of˺ the town[1] by the sea who violated the Sabbath. During the Sabbath, ˹abundant˺ fish would surface, but on other days, the fish were never seen. In this way, We tested them for their rebelliousness. And when a group among them said, “Why do you advise those who are to be destroyed by Allah or punished severely?”[1] They said, “To present an excuse to your Lord that they may fear.” So when they forgot the advice that they were given, We granted salvation to those who condemned evil and seized the oppressors with terrible punishment due to their disobedience. So when they transgressed against the proscription, We said to them, “Become rejected apes.”

Commentary

[1]

This verse directs the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to ask the neighbouring Jews about the people who lived near the sea (and transgressed on the Sabbath) to admonish them. This question highlighted the fact that denying the prophethood and miracles of prophets was not a new trait for Jews. Resorting to disbelief and transgression was an old tradition of theirs as their forefathers had remained firm disbelievers.

[2]

Here, the group that remained silent about the condemnation of fishing is mentioned. Although they disapproved of the transgression of the others, they did not advise them, having lost all hope in them. It seems that this group (who silently disapproved) also attained salvation as when there is no hope of acceptance from wrongdoers, commanding good is not mandatory (although it is better to do so). Commanding good is a communal obligation and as another group was fulfilling this duty, it was not directly incumbent upon this group.