The Unenthusiastic Party of the Israelites Who Neither…nor…

Many people do not know Allah. This series (1-77) is an attempt to help them to know their Creator.  Verses 7:164-166 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) The evil- doers party of the Israelites who used to…, 2) The unenthusiastic party of the Israelites who neither…nor…, 3) The good party of the Israelites who did not…, 4) To Whom Allah said: Be apes and they became so and 5) Why Has Allah turned them into animals?

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In the previous article (76):

Allah Commanded the Israelites to say: Repentance; and say: there is no deity except Allah; O Our Lord! Forgive our sins Forgive our sins but they changed what they were commanded to say.

Allah Commanded the Israelites to enter the gate of the township prostrate; but they entered the gate dragging themselves on their rears.

Then Allah sent upon the Israelites the plague for their wrong-doing

And question them, O Muhammad, about the city that was by the sea, bordering the Red Sea about what befell its inhabitants (the Israelites), how they would violate, the Sabbath, by fishing, which they had been commanded not to do on that day; how their fish would come to them on the day of their Sabbath floating at the surface, visible at the surface of the water; but on the day they did not observe the Sabbath, when they would not consecrate the Sabbath over the other days, they would not come to them, as a trial from Allah. Thus, Allah was trying them for their wickedness. And when they went to fish, the city split into three: one third joined the fishing party, another prohibited them, while a third abstained from both fishing and prohibiting.

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The meaning of verse 7:164

Still talking about the dwellers of city that was by the Red Sea, the verse talks about the unenthusiastic party of the Israelites who neither fished nor prohibited it.

The verse says:

And when a community among them said: Why preach ye to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy by turning them into animals and punish with an awful doom with the Fire?  They said: In order to be free from guilt before your Lord, in order to have an argument before your Lord, and that haply they may ward off evil, ward off taking the fish on the Sabbath. These were three people (the evil-doers party) who used to catch fish on the Sabbath and encouraged others to do so too. There was another group of people who did not catch fish on the Sabbath but did not warn others against doing so. And lastly there was another group of people who did not catch the fish on the Sabbath and warned others against doing so. Allah turned those who caught fish on the Sabbath and enjoined others to do so into animals and spared the others.

In other words, the verse says: And when a community among them, who neither fished nor prohibited it, said, to those who prohibited it: Why do you preach to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy or chastise with a severe chastisement?  They said, our admonishing them is, ‘As an exculpation, by which we excuse ourselves, before your Lord, lest we are reproached for failing to prohibit them in any way; and so that they might be wary of fishing.

The meaning of verse 7:165

And when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded; and when they left what they were commanded to do, Allah rescued those who forbade wrong i.e. catching fish on the Sabbath, and visited those who did wrong by catching fish on the Sabbath with dreadful, a severe punishment because they were evil-livers, because they were transgressors.

In other words, the verse says: And when they forgot, when they overlooked, that whereof they had been reminded, that for which they had been admonished, and did not desist, Allah delivered those who forbade evil, and seized those who did wrong, through transgression, with a grievous, terrible, chastisement for their wickedness.

The meaning of verse 7:166

And when they disdained, to desist from, that which was prohibited to them,

Allah said to them: Be apes, despised!, abased, and loathed! humiliated and abominated! and they became so.

This is an explication of what preceded with regard to the details of their ‘grievous chastisement’.

But what about the unenthusiastic party?

Ibn Abb?s, one of the famous interpreters of the Quran said: ‘I do not know what befell the group that abstained’.

On the other hand, Ikrima (also a famous interpreter of the Quran) said: That group was not destroyed because they had been averse to what the others did and had said: Why preach ye to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy…

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Verses 7:164-166 in different English translations of the meanings of Arabic Quran:

Verse 7:164

QARIB: and when some asked: ‘why do you admonish a nation whom Allah will destroy or sternly punish? ‘ they replied: ‘(seeking) a pardon from your lord, and in order that they may be cautious. ‘

SHAKIR: and when a party of them said: why do you admonish a with a severe chastisement? they said: to be free from blame before your lord, and that haply they may guard (against evil)

PICKTHAL: and when a community among them said: why preach ye to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy or punish with an awful doom, they said: in order to be free from guilt before your lord, and that haply they may ward off (evil).

YUSUFALI: when some of them said: “why do ye preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?”- said the preachers:” to discharge our duty to your lord, and perchance they may fear him.”

Verse 7:165

QARIB: therefore, when they forgot that of which they were reminded, we saved those who were forbidding evil, and seized the evildoers with an evil punishment for that which they used to do of evil.

SHAKIR: 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

PICKTHAL: and when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, we rescued those who forbade wrong, and visited those who did wrong with dreadful punishment because they were evil-livers.

YUSUFALI: when they disregarded the warnings that had been given them, we rescued those who forbade evil; but we visited the wrong-doers with a grievous punishment because they were given to transgression.

Verse 7:166

QARIB: and when they had scornfully persisted in what they had been forbidden, we said to them: ‘be apes, despised. ‘

SHAKIR: therefore when they revoltingly persisted in what they had been forbidden, we said to them: be (as) apes, despised and hated

PICKTHAL: so when they took pride in that which they had been forbidden, we said unto them: be ye apes despised and loathed!

YUSUFALI: when in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibitions, we said to them: “be ye apes, despised and rejected.”

About the Author

Co-Chief editor, October Weekly magazine, Cairo, Egypt.

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