Page 172 - The Story of the Sabbath Breakers

Page by Page - Shaykh Ahsan Hanif

In this lesson of Surah Al-A’rāf, verses 163-171, Shaykh Dr. Aḥsan Ḥanīf narrates the story of a village by the Red Sea, where the Jews defied the command of Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ by violating the sanctity of the Sabbath. They were tested with an abundance of fish on the Sabbath, which they deceitfully caught, leading to Allāh’s punishment, transforming them into monkeys. The village was divided into three groups: those who sinned, those who forbade it, and those who remained silent. Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ saved those who enjoined good and destroyed the wrongdoers, leaving the passive group’s fate uncertain. The verses also remind the Jews of their covenant with Allāh عَزَّوَجَلَّ, warning against prioritising worldly gains over the hereafter. The passage concludes by praising those who uphold Allāh’s Book and His guidance, promising them great rewards.