Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 65

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Certainly you have knowledge of those among you who transgressed in (the matter of) the Sabbath. We said to them, “Become apes, abased.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

You are already aware of those of you who broke the Sabbath. We said to them, “Be disgraced apes!”[[ Although many scholars believe that these individuals were turned into real apes, others interpret this verse in a metaphorical sense. This style is not uncommon in the Quran. See {62:5} regarding the donkey that carries books and {2:18} regarding the deaf, dumb, and blind.]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

And you know about those among you who broke the Sabbath, whereupon We said to them, “Be apes, despised.”

A. J. Arberry

And well you know there were those among you that transgressed the Sabbath, and We said to them, 'Be you apes, miserably slinking!'

Abdul Haleem

You know about those of you who broke the Sabbath, and so We said to them, ‘Be like apes! Be outcasts!’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And assuredly ye know of those of you who trespassed in the matter of the Sabbath, wherefore We said unto them: be ye apes despised.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath; We said to them; "Be ye apes, despised and rejected."

Abul Ala Maududi

And you know well the story of those among you who broke Sabbath. We said to them, "Be apes despised and hated by all.

Ahmed Ali

You know and have known already those among you who had broken the sanctity of the Sabbath, and to whom We had said: "Become (like) apes despised,"

Ahmed Raza Khan

And you certainly know of those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of Sabth (Sabbath – Saturday) – We therefore said to them, “Become apes, despised!”

Ali Quli Qarai

And certainly you know those of you who violated the Sabbath, whereupon We said to them, ‘Be you spurned apes.’

Ali Ünal

You surely know of those among you who exceeded the bounds with respect to the Sabbath, how We said to them, "Be you apes, miserably slinking and rejected."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And indeed you have come to know (the end of) those of you who transgressed regarding the Sabbath. Thereupon We said to them, `Be you (as) apes, despised.´

English Literal

And you had known those who transgressed/violated from you in the Saturday/Sabbath, so We said to them: "Be lowly/ousted out monkeys/apes ."

Faridul Haque

And you certainly know of those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of Sabth (Sabbath - Saturday) - We therefore said to them, "Become apes, despised!"

Hamid S. Aziz

You know also of those among you who transgressed upon the Sabbath, and how We said to them, “Be you (as) apes, despised and spurned."

Hilali & Khan

And indeed you knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And indeed you know those among you who violated the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

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.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And ye know of those of you who broke the Sabbath, how We said unto them: Be ye apes, despised and hated!

Muhammad Sarwar

You certainly knew about those among you who were transgressors on the Sabbath. We commanded them, "Become detested apes,"

Qaribullah & Darwish

You have surely known of those amongst you who transgressed the Sabbath. We said to them: 'Be apes, despised'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And indeed you knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected."

Wahiduddin Khan

You are aware of those who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath, whereupon We said to them, "Be as apes, despised!"

Talal Itani

And you surely knew those of you who violated the Sabbath. We said to them, “Be despicable apes!”

Tafsir jalalayn

And verily (wa-la-qad; the lm is for oaths) you know that there were those among you who transgressed, violated, the Sabbath, by fishing, when We had forbidden you to do so -- these were the inhabitants of Eilat -- and We said to them, `Be apes, despised!', rejected, and they became so; they died three days later.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Jews breach the Sanctity of the Sabbath

Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَواْ مِنكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُواْ قِرَدَةً خَاسِيِينَ



And indeed you knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). We said to them;"Be you monkeys, despised and rejected."

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ
(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 Surah Al-A`raf, where Allah said,

وَسْيَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِى كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِى السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ لَا 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 خَاسِيِينَ
(We said to them;"Be you monkeys, despised and rejected") means,

"Allah changed their bodies into those of monkeys and swine. 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 خَاسِيِينَ
(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