Surah Araf ayat 166 Tafsir Quran 7:166

﴿فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَن مَّا نُهُوا عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ﴾
[ الأعراف: 166]

7:166 So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, "Be apes, despised."

And when they disdained to desist from that which was prohibited to them We said to them ‘Be apes despised!’ abased and they became so this is an explication of what preceded with regard to the details of their ‘grievous chastisement’. Ibn ‘Abbās said ‘I do not know what befell the group that abstained’. ‘Ikrima said ‘That group was not destroyed because they had been averse to what the others did and had said ‘Why do you preach admonition …’ Al-Hākim reported in a hadīth that he ‘Ikrima referred this opinion to Ibn ‘Abbās who was delighted by it.

When they insolently persisted in disobedience and buried exhortation in oblivion, We laid their transgression to their charge and decreed that they be monkeyfied and that their monkey- like character and behaviour be viewed with contempt, and that they be despised and rejected of men

Those Who breached the Sabbath were turned into Monkeys, butThose Who prohibited Their Actions were saved Allah said that the people of this village were divided into three groups, a group that committed the prohibition, catching fish on the Sabbath, as we described in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah.
Another group prohibited them from transgression and avoided them.
A third group neither prohibited them, nor participated in their action.
The third group said to the preachers, لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَاباً شَدِيدًا ( "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment" ).
They said, `why do you forbid these people from evil, when you know that they are destroyed and have earned Allah's punishment' Therefore, they said, there is no benefit in forbidding them.
The preachers replied, مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ ( "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah ),") `for we were commanded to enjoin righteousness and forbid evil,' r وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ( "and perhaps they may fear Allah" ) for on account of our advice, they might stop this evil and repent to Allah.
Certainly, if they repent to Allah, Allah will accept their repentance and grant them His mercy.' Allah said, فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ ( So when they forgot the reminder that had been given to them, ) when the evil doers refused the advice, أَنجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ ( We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized who did wrong, ) who committed the transgression, بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ ( with a severe torment ).
Allah stated that those who enjoined good were saved, while those who committed the transgression were destroyed, but He did not mention the end of those who were passive ( the third group ), for the compensation is comparable to the deed.
This type did not do what would warrant praise, nor commit wrong so that they are admonished.
`Ikrimah said, "Ibn `Abbas said about the Ayah: `I do not know whether or not the people were saved who said; لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ ( "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy..." ) So I continued discussing it with him until I convinced him that they were.
Then he gave me the gift of a garment." Allah said, وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ ( and We seized those who did wrong with a Ba'is torment ) indicating that those who remained were saved.
As for `Ba'is', it means `severe', according to Mujahid, or `painful', according to Qatadah.
These meanings are synonymous, and Allah knows best.
Allah said next, خَـسِئِينَ ( despised ), humiliated, disgraced and rejected.

(7:166) And when they persisted in pursuing that which had been forbidden We said: 'Become despised apes.' *126

So when they were insolent about that meaning

*126).
For details see Towards Understanding the Q ur'an, vol.
1, alBaqarah 2: n.
83, pp.
81-2,
 

Those Who breached the Sabbath were turned into Monkeys, butThose Who prohibited Their Actions were saved Allah said that the people of this village were divided into three groups, a group that committed the prohibition, catching fish on the Sabbath, as we described in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah.
Another group prohibited them from transgression and avoided them.
A third group neither prohibited them, nor participated in their action.
The third group said to the preachers, لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَاباً شَدِيدًا ( "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment" ).
They said, `why do you forbid these people from evil, when you know that they are destroyed and have earned Allah's punishment' Therefore, they said, there is no benefit in forbidding them.
The preachers replied, مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ ( "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah ),") `for we were commanded to enjoin righteousness and forbid evil,' r وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ( "and perhaps they may fear Allah" ) for on account of our advice, they might stop this evil and repent to Allah.
Certainly, if they repent to Allah, Allah will accept their repentance and grant them His mercy.' Allah said, فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ ( So when they forgot the reminder that had been given to them, ) when the evil doers refused the advice, أَنجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ ( We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized who did wrong, ) who committed the transgression, بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ ( with a severe torment ).
Allah stated that those who enjoined good were saved, while those who committed the transgression were destroyed, but He did not mention the end of those who were passive ( the third group ), for the compensation is comparable to the deed.
This type did not do what would warrant praise, nor commit wrong so that they are admonished.
`Ikrimah said, "Ibn `Abbas said about the Ayah: `I do not know whether or not the people were saved who said; لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ ( "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy..." ) So I continued discussing it with him until I convinced him that they were.
Then he gave me the gift of a garment." Allah said, وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ ( and We seized those who did wrong with a Ba'is torment ) indicating that those who remained were saved.
As for `Ba'is', it means `severe', according to Mujahid, or `painful', according to Qatadah.
These meanings are synonymous, and Allah knows best.
Allah said next, خَـسِئِينَ ( despised ), humiliated, disgraced and rejected.

( So when they took pride in ) when they refused to refrain from ( that which they had been forbidden, We said unto them: Be ye apes despised and loathed! ) humiliated and abominated!

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).

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