وَسۡـَٔلۡهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلَّتِي كَانَتۡ حَاضِرَةَ ٱلۡبَحۡرِ إِذۡ يَعۡدُونَ فِي ٱلسَّبۡتِ إِذۡ تَأۡتِيهِمۡ حِيتَانُهُمۡ يَوۡمَ سَبۡتِهِمۡ شُرَّعٗا وَيَوۡمَ لَا يَسۡبِتُونَ لَا تَأۡتِيهِمۡۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبۡلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡسُقُونَ
١٦٣
And ask them
(O Muhammad ﷺ) 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
(see the Quran: V. 4:154).
(163)
وَإِذۡ قَالَتۡ أُمَّةٞ مِّنۡهُمۡ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوۡمًا ٱللَّهُ مُهۡلِكُهُمۡ أَوۡ مُعَذِّبُهُمۡ عَذَابٗا شَدِيدٗاۖ قَالُواْ مَعۡذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ
١٦٤
And when a community among them said: "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?"
(The preachers) said: "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord
(Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah."
(164)
فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِۦٓ أَنجَيۡنَا ٱلَّذِينَ يَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلسُّوٓءِ وَأَخَذۡنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ بِعَذَابِۭ بَـِٔيسِۭ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡسُقُونَ
١٦٥
So when they forgot the remindings that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment because they used to rebel
(disobey Allah).
(165)
فَلَمَّا عَتَوۡاْ عَن مَّا نُهُواْ عَنۡهُ قُلۡنَا لَهُمۡ كُونُواْ قِرَدَةً خَٰسِـِٔينَ
١٦٦
So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited, We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected."
(It is a severe warning to the mankind that they should not disobey what Allah commands them to do, and be far away from what He prohibits them).
(166)
وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَيَبۡعَثَنَّ عَلَيۡهِمۡ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ مَن يَسُومُهُمۡ سُوٓءَ ٱلۡعَذَابِۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَغَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ
١٦٧
And
(remember) when your Lord declared that He would certainly keep on sending against them
(i.e. the Jews), till the Day of Resurrection, those who would afflict them with a humiliating torment. Verily, your Lord is Quick in Retribution
(for the disobedient, wicked) and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful
(for the obedient and those who beg Allah's Forgiveness).
(167)
وَقَطَّعۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أُمَمٗاۖ مِّنۡهُمُ ٱلصَّٰلِحُونَ وَمِنۡهُمۡ دُونَ ذَٰلِكَۖ وَبَلَوۡنَٰهُم بِٱلۡحَسَنَٰتِ وَٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ
١٦٨
And We have broken them
(i.e. the Jews) up into various separate groups on the earth, some of them are righteous and some are away from that. And We tried them with good
(blessings) and evil
(calamities) in order that they might turn
(to Allah's Obedience).
(168)
فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ خَلۡفٞ وَرِثُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ يَأۡخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَٰذَا ٱلۡأَدۡنَىٰ وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغۡفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأۡتِهِمۡ عَرَضٞ مِّثۡلُهُۥ يَأۡخُذُوهُۚ أَلَمۡ يُؤۡخَذۡ عَلَيۡهِم مِّيثَٰقُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ أَن لَّا يَقُولُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَقَّ وَدَرَسُواْ مَا فِيهِۗ وَٱلدَّارُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٞ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ
١٦٩
Then after them succeeded an
(evil) generation, which inherited the Book, but they chose
(for themselves) the goods of this low life
(evil pleasures of this world) saying
(as an excuse): "
(Everything) will be forgiven to us." And if
(again) the offer of the like
(evil pleasures of this world) came their way, they would
(again) seize them
(would commit those sins). Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth? And they have studied what is in it
(the Book). And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who are Al-Muttaqun
(the pious - see V. 2:2). Do not you then understand?
(169)
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُصۡلِحِينَ
١٧٠
And as to those who hold fast to the Book
(i.e. act on its teachings) and perform As-Salat
(Iqamat-as-Salat), certainly, We shall never waste the reward of those who do righteous deeds.
(170)
۞وَإِذۡ نَتَقۡنَا ٱلۡجَبَلَ فَوۡقَهُمۡ كَأَنَّهُۥ ظُلَّةٞ وَظَنُّوٓاْ أَنَّهُۥ وَاقِعُۢ بِهِمۡ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيۡنَٰكُم بِقُوَّةٖ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ
١٧١
And
(remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them.
(We said): "Hold firmly to what We have given you
[i.e. the Taurat (Torah)], and remember that which is therein
(act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him."
(171)