What occurred to the people of the Sabbath?

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

The Jews, before the advent of the Prophet ﷺ, used to conceal the story of the people of the Sabbath from among the inhabitants of Eilah and what occurred with them, due to the rebuke and humiliation it entailed for them regarding what befell some of their ancestors from the Children of Israel, involving destruction and transformation.

However, Allah exposed them in the Noble Qur'an when He revealed that story to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to caution the Jews against their obstinacy, arrogance, and refusal to believe in him ﷺ, reminding them of what befell their brethren in the village of Eilah.

Allah ta^ala said:

﴿وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنْكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ * فَجَعَلْنَاهَا نَكَالًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾

“And verily, you were already aware of those among you who transgressed on the Sabbath, and We transformed them into despised monkeys. Thus, We made it a deterrent for what preceded it and for those who succeeded them, and a lesson for those who fear Allah.”

The command to refrain from work on the Sabbath

During the time of their Prophet Dawud, and even prior, the Muslims among the Children of Israel would abstain from work, trade, craftsmanship, and fishing on the Sabbath. Engaging in such activities on that particular day was deemed unlawful in their Shari^ah. This prohibition served as a test from Allah, to reveal to the people who adhere to His commands and who transgress them.

Allah's test of their patience on the Sabbath

On the Sabbath, the fish would appear in such abundance that they seemed nearly catchable by hand, having been divinely inspired to be safe from capture on that day due to Allah’s prohibition against fishing for the Children of Israel. In large numbers, they would gather along the shores of the village of Eilah, without experiencing any fear or disturbance. Yet, on days other than the Sabbath, the fish would retreat to the depths of the sea, vanishing from sight until the arrival of the following Sabbath.

The onset of disobedience through trickery

How swiftly wicked souls are drawn by Satan toward disobedience and corruption! When one of the villagers longed for fish, Satan lured him into sin and enticed him to devise a cunning scheme to satisfy his craving. On the Sabbath, he went to the seashore and noticed a large fish swimming close by. He tied a rope around its tail, securing the other end to a stake on the shore, and departed. Once the day had ended, he returned, took the fish home, cleaned it, and roasted it.

Open disobedience and invitation to transgress

The scent of roasting fish enveloped the man's house, prompting his neighbours to approach in astonishment and ask: "How did you come by this fish?" He denied having caught it on the Sabbath, but when they persisted, he replied, "It is merely the skin of a fish I found and roasted."

The following Sabbath, he repeated what he had done the previous week. Once again, the aroma of roasting fish wafted through the air, leading the people to question him as before about how he had obtained it. This time, however, he did not conceal his disobedience; instead, he openly confessed and explained how he had fastened the fish. With malicious intent, he even encouraged them, saying, "If you wish, you may do as I do."

The spread of disobedience and rebellion among many villagers

The people divided into three groups. One group, comprising twelve thousand individuals, denounced the disobedience and urged others to refrain from such actions. Another group distanced themselves, neither advising against the transgression nor engaging in it themselves. This group questioned those who warned against the prohibited acts, saying, "Why do you admonish a people who are disobedient? Surely, Allah will destroy them and punish them," reflecting what they expected to happen after disobeying Allah’s command and what has been observed in previous disobedient nations.

The forbidders of wrongdoing replied, "Our admonition is a reminder, in hopes that they may fear Allah and repent." Additionally, among the villagers were those who emulated the man who had transgressed, engaging in similar actions; their number was around seventy thousand.

Then they diversified their methods of deception. Some of them, on Friday, dug excavations connected to the sea with pathways that could easily be blocked. On Saturday, they would retrieve the fish. This practice became widespread, with many participating, eventually leading them to catch fish openly on Saturdays and sell them in the markets. This constituted one of the gravest transgressions.

When the wicked openly declared their practices, the scholars of the Israelite Muslims admonished them and warned them of the consequences. However, they did not heed the warning. Consequently, a wall was erected between them and the wrongdoers in the village, and the scholars isolated themselves from them, no longer cohabiting with them.

The Descent of Punishment

In the night, the command of Allah ta^ala arrived, and He exacted retribution from those who had transgressed. He transformed their young men into monkeys and their elderly into swine. The individuals who enjoined what was right and forbade what was wrong rose in the morning to attend to their work, mosques, and gatherings. When they saw none of the wicked, they were astonished and began to question one another.

One of them set up a ladder against the wall and climbed up. When he looked down upon the people, he beheld an appalling sight: the wicked had become monkeys with tails, howling and leaping upon one another, while swine emitted foul sounds. They opened the doors for them and entered, and some monkeys approached their human relatives, sniffing their garments and weeping. The human would say, “Did we not forbid you from disobedience?” The monkey would nod, “Indeed.”

Allah annihilated the disobedient faction and saved those who forbade evil and those who remained obedient. The transformed individuals did not survive for more than three days; during that time, they neither ate nor drank, nor did they produce any offspring. They served as a significant lesson for the nations that followed and for anyone who witnessed them and learned their story.

Conclusion

These are lessons that Allah ta^ala has imparted for our reflection. A believer must adhere to the commands of Allah and His Messenger, treating them with the utmost seriousness, for Allah's punishment is indeed severe. The transgressors may have been granted a respite, which led them to become complacent and persistent in their wrongdoing, forgetting that a greater torment awaits them beyond the trials of this world. By Allah, a single immersion in the Fire of Hell will cause one to forget all the pleasures of this earthly life. Indeed, enduring the hardships of this world today is far easier than facing the punishments of the Hereafter.

And Allah ta^ala knows best and is the Most Wise. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.

Sources

These matters are a compilation and summary from:

• The Noble Qur'an
• The Prophetic Sunnah
• Tafsiru n-Nasafiyy
• Tafsiru t-Tabariyy