The Saturday Prohibition

The Glorified Allah commands: “And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.
[2.66] So We made them an example to those who witnessed it and those who came after it, and an admonition to those who guard (against evil).” (Al-Baqara/ The Cow 2/65-66)

 

It was prohibited for the Jews to hint on Saturdays. At the time of Dawood (a.s.) there were Jews living in the coast city of Eyle[1].

 

During one month of the year there was plenty fish that it was difficult to see the water. Except for this month the fish moved near that coast only on Saturdays. So they opened big pools near the coast to accumulate the fish on Saturdays, where they went on Sundays hunting the fish in the pools; this way they seemed to not have transgressed the prohibition and profited from the fishing in deep fear from the punishment. As time passed the sons followed the example of their fathers and became rich. Those who thought this to be unfair called them to abandon this business but they didn’t, claiming: “It has been a long time since we started this job Allah hasn’t punished us at all”. “Don’t be fool, it might be a punishment that will make you all vanish” continued the warnings. One morning they became monkeys and lived this way for three days, afterward they vanished[2].  

 

A group continued the struggle: “” The verses continue this way: “So when they neglected what they had been reminded of, We delivered those who forbade evil and We overtook those who were unjust with an evil chastisement because they transgressed.
[7.166] Therefore when they revoltingly persisted in what they had been forbidden, We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.” (A’raf/ Purgatory 7/165-166)

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