Tarikh (al-Tabari) 367
the accounts of past peoples from the Israelites and others
قِصَّةُ أَصْحَابِ أَيْلَةَ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا فِي سَبْتِهِمْ وردت قصة أصحاب السبت في عدة مواضع من القرآن الكريم منها في البقرة والنساء وغيرها من السور، كما وردت بتفصيل أكثر في سورة الأعراف قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، فِي سُورَةِ " الْأَعْرَافِ ": وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ كَذَلِكَ نَبْلُوهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا قَالُوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ أَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَنْ مَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ [ الْأَعْرَافِ: 163 - 166 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى فِي سُورَةِ " الْبَقَرَةِ ": وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنْكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ فَجَعَلْنَاهَا نَكَالًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ [ الْبَقَرَةِ: 65، 66 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى فِي سُورَةِ " النِّسَاءِ ": أَوْ نَلْعَنَهُمْ كَمَا لَعَنَّا أَصْحَابَ السَّبْتِ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا [ النِّسَاءِ: 47 ]. مكان وأحداث قصة أصحاب السبت قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَمُجَاهِدٌ، وَعِكْرِمَةُ، وَقَتَادَةُ، وَالسُّدِّيُّ، وَغَيْرُهُمْ: هُمْ أَهْلُ أَيْلَةَ. زَادَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: بَيْنَ مَدْيَنَ وَالطُّورِ. قَالُوا: وَكَانُوا مُتَمَسِّكِينَ بِدِينِ التَّوْرَاةِ فِي تَحْرِيمِ السَّبْتِ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ، فَكَانَتِ الْحِيتَانُ قَدْ أَلِفَتْ مِنْهُمُ السَّكِينَةَ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْيَوْمِ ; وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الِاصْطِيَادُ فِيهِ وَكَذَلِكَ جَمِيعُ الصَّنَائِعِ وَالتِّجَارَاتِ وَالْمَكَاسِبِ، فَكَانَتِ الْحِيتَانُ فِي مِثْلِ يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ يَكْثُرُ غَشَيَانُهَا لِمَحِلَّتِهِمْ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ ; فَتَأْتِي مِنْ هَاهُنَا وَهَاهُنَا ظَاهِرَةً آمِنَةً مُسْتَرْسِلَةً فَلَا يُهَيِّجُونَهَا وَلَا يَذْعَرُونَهَا. وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَصْطَادُونَهَا فِيمَا عَدَا السَّبْتِ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: كَذَلِكَ نَبْلُوهُمْ أَيْ: نَخْتَبِرُهُمْ بِكَثْرَةِ الْحِيتَانِ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ. بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ أَيْ: بِسَبَبِ فِسْقِهِمُ الْمُتَقَدِّمِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا ذَلِكَ احْتَالُوا عَلَى اصْطِيَادِهَا فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ، بِأَنْ نَصَبُوا الْحِبَالَ وَالشِّبَاكَ وَالشُّصُوصَ، وَحَفَرُوا الْحُفَرَ الَّتِي يَجْرِي مَعَهَا الْمَاءُ إِلَى مَصَانِعَ قَدْ أَعَدُّوهَا، إِذَا دَخَلَهَا السَّمَكُ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ مِنْهَا، فَفَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ فِي يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الْحِيتَانُ مُسْتَرْسِلَةً يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ، عَلِقَتْ بِهَذِهِ الْمَصَايِدِ، فَإِذَا خَرَجَ سَبْتُهُمْ أَخَذُوهَا، فَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَنَهُمْ ; لَمَّا احْتَالُوا عَلَى خِلَافِ أَمْرِهِ، وَانْتَهَكُوا مَحَارِمَهُ بِالْحِيَلِ الَّتِي هِيَ ظَاهِرَةٌ لِلنَّاظِرِ، وَهِيَ فِي الْبَاطِنِ مُخَالَفَةٌ مَحْضَةٌ، فَلَمَّا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمُ افْتَرَقَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فِرْقَتَيْنِ ; فِرْقَةٌ أَنْكَرُوا عَلَيْهِمْ صَنِيعَهُمْ هَذَا وَاحْتِيَالَهُمْ عَلَى مُخَالَفَةِ اللَّهِ وَشَرْعِهِ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ، وَفِرْقَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا وَلَمْ يَنْهَوْا، بَلْ أَنْكَرُوا عَلَى الَّذِينَ نَهَوْا وَقَالُوا: لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا يَقُولُونَ لَهُمْ: مَا الْفَائِدَةُ فِي نَهْيِكُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ وَقَدِ اسْتَحَقُّوا الْعُقُوبَةَ لَا مَحَالَةَ ؟ فَأَجَابَتْهُمُ الطَّائِفَةُ الْمُنْكِرَةُ بِأَنْ قَالُوا: مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ أَيْ: فِيمَا أُمِرْنَا بِهِ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، فَنَقُومُ بِهِ خَوْفًا مِنْ عَذَابِهِ. وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ أَيْ: وَلَعَلَّ هَؤُلَاءِ يَتْرُكُونَ مَا هُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ هَذَا الصَّنِيعِ، فَيَقِيهِمُ اللَّهُ عَذَابَهُ وَيَعْفُو عَنْهُمْ إِذَا هُمْ رَجَعُوا وَاسْتَمَعُوا. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ أَيْ: لَمْ يَلْتَفِتُوا إِلَى مَنْ نَهَاهُمْ عَنْ هَذَا الصَّنِيعِ الشَّنِيعِ الْفَظِيعِ أَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَهُمُ الْفِرْقَةُ الْآمِرَةُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّاهِيَةُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَهُمُ الْمُرْتَكِبُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ وَهُوَ الشَّدِيدُ الْمُؤْلِمُ الْمُوجِعُ. بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ثُمَّ فَسَّرَ الْعَذَابَ الَّذِي أَصَابَهُمْ بِقَوْلِهِ: فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَنْ مَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ وَسَنَذْكُرُ مَا وَرَدَ مِنَ الْآثَارِ فِي ذَلِكَ. وَالْمَقْصُودُ هُنَا أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ الظَّالِمِينَ، وَنَجَّى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْمُنْكِرِينَ، وَسَكَتَ عَنِ السَّاكِتِينَ، وَقَدِ اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِمُ الْعُلَمَاءُ عَلَى قَوْلَيْنِ ; فَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُمْ مِنَ النَّاجِينَ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ. وَالصَّحِيحُ الْأَوَّلُ عِنْدَ الْمُحَقِّقِينَ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، إِمَامُ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ، وَذَلِكَ عِنْدَ مُنَاظَرَةِ مَوْلَاهُ عِكْرِمَةُ، فَكَسَاهُ مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ حُلَّةً سَنِيَّةً ; تَكْرِمَةً. قُلْتُ: وَإِنِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرُوا مَعَ النَّاجِينَ ; لِأَنَّهُمْ وَإِنْ كَرِهُوا بِبَوَاطِنِهِمْ تِلْكَ الْفَاحِشَةَ، إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ أَنْ يَحْمِلُوا ظَوَاهِرَهُمْ بِالْعَمَلِ الْمَأْمُورِ بِهِ مِنَ الْإِنْكَارِ الْقَوْلِيِّ، الَّذِي هُوَ أَوْسَطُ الْمَرَاتِبِ الثَّلَاثِ، الَّتِي أَعْلَاهَا الْإِنْكَارُ بِالْيَدِ ذَاتِ الْبَنَانِ، وَبَعْدَهَا الْإِنْكَارُ الْقَوْلِيِّ بِاللِّسَانِ، وَثَالِثُهَا الْإِنْكَارُ بِالْجَنَانِ. فَلَمَّا لَمْ يُذَكِّرُوا، لَمْ يُذْكَرُوا مَعَ النَّاجِينَ، إِذْ لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا الْفَاحِشَةَ، بَلْ أَنْكَرُوا. وعَنْ قَتَادَةَ، وَعَطَاءٍ الْخُرَاسَانِيِّ، مَا مَضْمُونُهُ أَنَّ الَّذِينَ ارْتَكَبُوا هَذَا الصُّنْعَ، اعْتَزَلَهُمْ بَقِيَّةُ أَهْلِ الْبَلَدِ، وَنَهَاهُمْ مَنْ نَهَاهُمْ مِنْهُمْ، فَلَمْ يَقْبَلُوا، فَكَانُوا يَبِيتُونَ وَحْدَهُمْ وَيُغْلِقُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ أَبْوَابًا، حَاجِزًا لِمَا كَانُوا يَتَرَقَّبُونَ مِنْ هَلَاكِهِمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَأَبْوَابُ نَاحِيَتِهِمْ مُغْلَقَةٌ لَمْ يَفْتَحُوهَا، وَارْتَفَعَ النَّهَارُ وَاشْتَدَّ الضُحَاءُ فَأَمَرَ بَقِيَّةُ أَهْلِ الْبَلَدِ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَصْعَدَ عَلَى سَلَالِمَ وَيُشْرِفَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا أَشْرَفَ عَلَيْهِمْ، إِذَا هُمْ قِرَدَةٌ لَهَا أَذْنَابٌ يَتَعَاوَوْنَ وَيَتَعَادَوْنَ، فَفَتَحُوا عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَبْوَابَ فَجَعَلَتِ الْقِرَدَةُ تَعْرِفُ قَرَابَاتِهِمْ، وَلَا تَعْرِفُهُمْ قَرَابَاتُهُمْ، فَجَعَلُوا يَلُوذُونَ بِهِمْ، وَيَقُولُ لَهُمُ النَّاهُونَ: أَلَمْ نَنْهَكُمْ عَنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ ؟ فَتُشِيرُ الْقِرَدَةُ بِرُءُوسِهَا أَنْ نَعَمْ. ثُمَّ بَكَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَقَالَ: إِنَّا لَنَرَى مُنْكَرَاتٍ كَثِيرَةً، وَلَا نُنْكِرُهَا، وَلَا نَقُولُ فِيهَا شَيْئًا. وَقَالَ الْعَوْفِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: صَارَ شَبَابُ الْقَرْيَةِ قِرَدَةً، وَشُيُوخُهَا خَنَازِيرَ. وعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَعِيشُوا إِلَّا فُوَاقًا، ثُمَّ هَلَكُوا، مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ نَسْلٌ. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعِشْ مَسْخٌ قَطُّ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ، وَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ هَؤُلَاءِ وَلَمْ يَشْرَبُوا وَلَمْ يَنْسِلُوا. وَقَدْ رَوَى ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ، وَابْنُ جَرِيرٍ مِنْ طَرِيقِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مُسِخَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ، وَلَمْ يُمْسَخُوا قِرَدَةً وَخَنَازِيرَ، وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ مَثَلٌ ضَرَبَهُ اللَّهُ، كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا. وَهَذَا صَحِيحٌ إِلَيْهِ، وَغَرِيبٌ مِنْهُ جِدًّا، وَمُخَالِفٌ لِظَاهِرِ الْقُرْآنِ، وَلِمَا نَصَّ عَلَيْهِ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ السَّلَفِ وَالْخَلْفِ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ
Translation
✧ The story of the people of Aylah who transgressed in their Sabbath The story of the People of the Sabbath is mentioned in several places in the Noble Qur'an, including in al-Baqarah, al-Nisa', and other surahs, and it is mentioned in more detail in Surah al-A'raf. Allah, Exalted is He, said in Surah "al-A'raf": "And ask them about the town that was situated by the sea, when they transgressed in the Sabbath, when their fish came to them on their Sabbath day, appearing openly, and on the day they did not observe the Sabbath they did not come to them. Thus did We test them because of their transgressing. And when a community among them said, 'Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?' They said, 'To be excused before your Lord, and perhaps they may fear Him.' So when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We saved those who forbade evil, and We seized those who wronged with a wretched punishment because of their transgressing. So when they were insolent about what they had been forbidden, We said to them, 'Be apes, despised.'" [al-A'raf: 163–166]. And He, Exalted is He, said in Surah "al-Baqarah": "And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the Sabbath, and We said to them, 'Be apes, despised.' And We made it a deterrent punishment for those before them and after them and an admonition for the God-fearing." [al-Baqarah: 65, 66]. And He, Exalted is He, said in Surah "al-Nisa'": "Or We curse them as We cursed the People of the Sabbath, and the command of Allah is ever executed." [al-Nisa': 47]. The place and events of the story of the People of the Sabbath Ibn ʿAbbas, Mujahid, ʿIkrimah, Qatadah, al-Suddi, and others said: They were the people of Aylah. Ibn ʿAbbas added: between Madyan and al-Tur. They said: They were adhering to the religion of the Torah in prohibiting the Sabbath at that time, and the fish had become accustomed to tranquility from them on that day; that is because hunting was forbidden to them on it, as were all crafts, trades, and earnings. So on the Sabbath day, the fish would frequently come to their dwelling place from the sea, coming from here and there, appearing openly, safe and at ease, and they would not disturb them or frighten them. And on the day they did not observe the Sabbath, they would not come to them. That was because they used to hunt them on days other than the Sabbath. Allah, Exalted is He, said: "Thus did We test them," meaning: We tested them by the abundance of fish on the Sabbath day. "Because of their transgressing," meaning: because of their prior transgression. When they saw that, they devised a way to catch the fish on the Sabbath day by setting up ropes, nets, hooks, and digging trenches through which water flowed into reservoirs they had prepared, such that when the fish entered them, they could not get out. They did that on Friday, so when the fish came at ease on the Sabbath, they got caught in these traps, and when their Sabbath ended, they took them. Allah became angry with them and cursed them because they schemed against His command and violated His prohibitions through tricks that are apparent to the observer, but inwardly are pure opposition. When one group of them did that, those who did not do it split into two factions: one faction denounced their deed and their scheming against Allah and His law in that time, and another faction neither did it nor forbade it; rather, they denounced those who forbade it and said: "Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" They said to them: What is the benefit in your forbidding these people when they have already incurred punishment inevitably? The denouncing faction answered them by saying: "To be excused before your Lord," meaning: in regard to what we have been commanded of enjoining good and forbidding evil, so we carry it out fearing His punishment. "And perhaps they may fear Him," meaning: perhaps these people will abandon what they are engaged in of this deed, and Allah will protect them from His punishment and pardon them if they return and listen. Allah, Exalted is He, said: "So when they forgot what they had been reminded of," meaning: they paid no attention to those who forbade them from this heinous and terrible deed. "We saved those who forbade evil," and they are the faction that enjoined good and forbade evil. "And We seized those who wronged," and they are the ones who committed the obscene deed, "with a wretched punishment," which is the severe, painful, and agonizing punishment. "Because of their transgressing." Then He explained the punishment that befell them by His saying: "So when they were insolent about what they had been forbidden, We said to them, 'Be apes, despised.'" We will mention what has been narrated of the reports concerning that. The point here is that Allah informed that He destroyed the wrongdoers and saved the believing denouncers, and He was silent about those who remained silent. The scholars have differed about them into two opinions: it was said that they were among the saved, and it was said that they were among the destroyed. The correct view according to the meticulous scholars is the first, and it is the view to which Ibn ʿAbbas, the imam of the exegetes, returned, and that was during a debate with his client ʿIkrimah, for which he gave him a fine garment as an honor. I say: They were not mentioned with the saved because, although they disliked that obscene deed in their hearts, it was appropriate for them to have their outward selves carry out the commanded action of verbal denunciation, which is the middle of the three ranks, the highest of which is denunciation with the hand, then verbal denunciation with the tongue, and the third is denunciation with the heart. Since they did not speak out, they were not mentioned with the saved, since they did not commit the obscene deed, but rather denounced it. From Qatadah and ʿAta' al-Khurasani, the substance of which is that those who committed this deed were avoided by the rest of the people of the town, and those among them who forbade them did so, but they did not accept. So they used to spend the night alone and lock doors between themselves and them as a barrier, anticipating their destruction. One day they woke up and the doors of their quarter were locked, and they did not open them. The day rose and the forenoon grew intense, so the rest of the people of the town ordered a man to climb ladders and look down upon them from above. When he looked upon them, behold, they were apes with tails, howling and running about. They opened the doors for them, and the apes recognized their relatives, but their relatives did not recognize them. They began to seek refuge with them, and the forbidders said to them: "Did we not forbid you from your deed?" The apes nodded their heads, saying yes. Then ʿAbd Allah b. ʿAbbas wept and said: "We see many abominable things, and we do not denounce them, and we do not say anything about them." Al-ʿAwfi said, from Ibn ʿAbbas: The young men of the town became apes, and its old men became pigs. From Ibn ʿAbbas: They did not live except for a short while, then they perished; they had no offspring. Al-Dahhak said, from Ibn ʿAbbas: No metamorphosed creature ever lived more than three days, and these did not eat, drink, or produce offspring. Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir narrated from the path of Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, that he said: Their hearts were transformed, and they were not transformed into apes and pigs; it is only a parable that Allah struck, like the example of the donkey carrying books. This is authentic from him, and very strange, and contrary to the apparent meaning of the Qur'an and to what more than one of the early and later scholars have explicitly stated. And Allah knows best.
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