Surah Al-Baqarah 2:65

The Jews breach the Sanctity of the Sabbath

Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ

(And indeed you knew). This Ayah means, O Jews! Remember that Allah sent His torment on the village that disobeyed Him and broke their pledge and their covenant to observe the sanctity of the Sabbath. They 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. When they did that, Allah changed them 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. This story is explained in detail in Surat Al-A`raf, where Allah said (7:163),

وَسْئَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِى كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِى السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لاَ يَسْبِتُونَ لاَ تَأْتِيهِمْ كَذَلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

(And ask them (O Muhammad ) about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them, for they used to rebel (disobey Allah).)(7:163)

In his Tafsir, Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said,

فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُواْ قِرَدَةً خَـسِئِينَ

(We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected") means, "Allah changed their bodies into those of monkeys and swines. The young people turned into monkeys while the old people turned into swine." Shayban An-Nahwi reported that Qatadah commented on,

فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُواْ قِرَدَةً خَـسِئِينَ

(We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected"), "These people were turned into howling monkeys with tails, after being men and women."

The Monkeys and Swine that exist now are not the Descendants of Those that were transformed

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Those who violated the sanctity of the Sabbath were turned into monkeys, then they perished without offspring." Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah turned them into monkeys because of their sins. They only lived on the earth for three days, for no transformed person ever lives more than three days. They did not eat, drink or have offspring. Allah transformed their shapes into monkeys, and He does what He wills, with whom He wills and He changes the shape of whomever He wills. On the other hand, Allah created the monkeys, swines and the rest of the creation in the six days (of creation) that He mentioned in His Book."

Allah's statement,

فَجَعَلْنَـهَا نَكَـلاً

(So We made this punishment an example) means, Allah made the people of this village, who violated the sanctity of the Sabbath,

نَكَـلاً

(an example) via the way they were punished. Similarly, Allah said about Pharaoh,

فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الاٌّخِرَةِ وَالاٍّوْلَى

(So Allah, seized him with punishing example for his last and first transgression) (79:25). nAllah's statement,

لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا

(for those in front of it and those behind it) meaning, for the other villages. Ibn `Abbas commented, "Meaning, `We made this village an example for the villages around it by the manner in which We punished its people."' Similarly, Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِّنَ الْقُرَى وَصَرَّفْنَا الاٌّيَـتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

(And indeed We have destroyed towns (populations) round about you, and We have (repeatedly) shown (them) the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in various ways that they might return (to the truth and believe in the Oneness of Allah ـ Islamic Monotheism)).(46:27)

Therefore, Allah made them an example for those who lived during their time as well as a reminder for those to come, by preserving their story. This is why Allah said,

وَمَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

(and a lesson for Al-Muttaqin (the pious)), meaning, a reminder. This Ayah means, "The torment and punishment that this village suffered was a result of indulging in Allah'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." Also, Imam Abu `Abdullah bin Battah reported that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«لَا تَرْتَكِبُوا مَا ارْتَكَبَتِ الْيَهُودُ فَتَسْتَحِلُّوا مَحَارِمَ اللهِ بِأَدْنَى الْحِيَل»

(Do not commit what the Jews committed, breaching what Allah has forbidden, by resorting to the lowest types of deceit.)

This Hadith has a good (Jayid) chain of narration. Allah knows best.

Dalam ketentuan syariat agama Yahudi, pada hari ketujuh, Sabat (dari bahasa Ibrani, shabbath, berarti "istirahat") orang dilarang mengerjakan apa pun, karena hari itu khusus untuk ibadah. Dalam bahasa Arab sabt (Sabtu), dari kata sabata, yasbitu, sabtan, juga berarti "istirahat" atau "tenang." Pada hari itu setelah "langit, bumi, dan segala isinya diselesaikan" Tuhan beristirahat. "Lalu Allah memberkati hari ketujuh itu dan menguduskannya" (Kejadian ii. 1-3), yang juga dipakai untuk merayakan terbebasnya orang Israil dari perbudakan di Mesir. Menurut Perjanjian Lama, mereka yang melanggar kekudusan Sabat, termasuk menangkap ikan pada hari itu, dapat dijatuhi hukuman mati: "Siapa yang melanggar kekudusan hari Sabat itu pastilah ia dihukum mati, sebab orang yang melakukan pekerjaan pada hari itu, orang itu harus dilenyapkan dari antara bangsanya". (Kitab Keluaran 31. 14).

Pada hari yang sangat dihormati itu biasanya ikan-ikan bebas bermunculan sehingga menutupi permukaan air laut, karena hari itu tidak ada orang yang berani mengganggunya. Di luar hari Sabtu ikan-ikan itu menghilang lagi (al-A'raf/7 : 163). Banyak mufasir menyebutkan, larangan ini oleh mereka diakali; pada hari-hari sebelum Sabat mereka membuat kolam besar dan air laut dialirkan ke dalamnya. Pada hari Ahad mereka bekerja mengambil ikan yang sudah terjaring itu. Tetapi dalam hukum Tuhan mereka tetap melanggar, maka Allah menjatuhkan hukuman dengan menjadikan mereka kera, sehingga mereka jauh dari kebajikan serta hina dan rendah.

Menurut Mujahid, sebagaimana diriwayatkan oleh Ibnu Jarir, "Fisik mereka tidak ditukar menjadi kera, tetapi hati, jiwa, dan sifat merekalah yang dijadikan seperti kera, sehingga mereka tidak dapat menerima pengajaran dan tidak dapat memahami ancaman." Pada ayat ini mereka diserupakan dengan kera dan pada ayat yang lain mereka diserupakan dengan keledai, sesuai dengan firman Allah:

Perumpamaan orang-orang yang diberi tugas membawa Taurat, kemudian mereka tidak membawanya (tidak mengamalkannya) adalah seperti keledai yang membawa kitab-kitab yang tebal.¦.(al-Jumu'ah/62:5)

Jumhur ulama berpendapat bahwa mereka benar-benar bertukar wujud menjadi kera sebagai hukuman terhadap keingkaran mereka. Di dalam riwayat lain disebutkan bahwa mereka yang diubah menjadi kera tidak beranak, tidak makan, tidak minum, dan tidak dapat hidup lebih dari tiga hari. Di dalam Al-Qur'an terdapat ayat yang serupa maksudnya:

¦ Dan di antara mereka (ada) yang dijadikan kera dan babi dan (orang yang) menyembah Tagut."¦(al-Ma'idah/5:60)