The Story of the People of the Sabbath
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The Shaykh : The Jews were forbidden to hunt fish on the day of the Sabbath. It was said to them, "Do not hunt fish on the day of the Sabbath." So Allah tested them, and the fish would come on the day of the Sabbath in a straight line on the surface of the water, but on any other day they would not see them. [Al-A'raf 7:163] And the Jews, as you know, want nothing but to fill their bellies and satisfy the desire of their private parts; they are worldly people in the truest sense. Well, time passed for them, and they said, "There must be a trick; there must be a trick. What is the trick?" They said, "Set up a net on Friday, and the fish will come on the Sabbath and enter the net, and they will not be able to get out. And when it is Sunday, what then? Take them, and you will have not hunted on the Sabbath." Look how Satan made their deeds seem beautiful to them. So they did it. And with what were they afflicted? Listen. [Al-A'raf 7:163] Then they divided on this into two, or rather three, groups. One group forbade these people, saying, "Do not take the catch; do not resort to a trick for it." [Al-A'raf 7:164] So they became three groups: one group resorted to the trick, one group remained silent and did not disapprove, and one group disapproved. In fact, those who remained silent and did not disapprove disapproved of those who disapproved, and they said to them: [Al-A'raf 7:164] They are already destroyed, and there is no need for you to admonish them." They replied: [Al-A'raf 7:164] Listen to His words in Surat al-Baqarah: [Al-Baqarah 2:65] Is the command "Be apes" here a cosmic command or a legislative one?
The student: Cosmic.
Another student: Legislative.
The Shaykh : You are commanded to become an ape. Is it possible that Allah commands you to become an ape? You are forbidden from imitating apes. Is the command "Be apes" a cosmic command or a legislative one? It is a cosmic command. So they became apes, despicable. Apes, humiliated. They are not counted among anyone. Humiliated. Allah afflicted them with apparent and hidden humiliation. But the apes known now are not the apes of the nation that was afflicted with that, because they perished.
I say, may Allah bless you. We return to the interpretation of the verse:. And the meaning of "zaratum" is: you came and buried them in the graves, and it is not intended to mean visiting graves. Then we addressed the prescribed visiting of graves, and because the people of the graves are in need of what? Of supplication for them, and it is not permissible for us to call upon them.
We raised a question and answered it. The question is that some people are tested and call upon the occupant of the grave, and they are healed. What do we say? Did the occupant of the grave heal them? No. What is the evidence that the occupant of the grave did not heal them? From the Qur'an:[Al-Ahqaf 46:5] And He the Exalted said: [Fatir 35:13-14]. Beware, my brother, of relying on anyone but Allah Mighty and Majestic. Ask Allah; there is no intermediary between you and Him. Ask Allah: .
I say: This one who was healed, it was only Allah Mighty and Majestic who healed him, not this buried person. But Allah the Exalted may test some of His servants by making disobedience easy for them, so that He the Exalted may test them.
and the day they had no sabbath they did not come to them
ويوم لا يسبتون لاتأتيهمAnd ask them about the town that was by the sea - when they transgressed in [the matter of] the sabbath - when their fish came to them openly on their sabbath day, and the day they had no sabbath they did not come to them. Thus did We give them trial because they were defiantly disobedient.
واسألهم عن القرية التي كانت حاضرة البحر إذ يعدون في السبت إذ تأتيهم حيتانهم يوم سبتهم شرعا ويوم لا يسبتون لا تأتيهم كذلك نبلوهم بما كانوا يفسقونAnd when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."
وإذ قالت أمة منهم لم تعظون قوما الله مهلكهم أو معذبهم عذابا شديدا قال معذرة إلى ربكم ولعلهم يتقونWhy do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy
لم تعظون قوما الله مهلكهمTo be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."
معذرة إلى ربكم ولعلهم يتقونAnd you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised."
ولقد علمتم الذين اعتدوا منكم في السبت ايش؟ فقلنا لهم كونوا قردة خاسئينThe student: Cosmic.
Another student: Legislative.
The Shaykh : You are commanded to become an ape. Is it possible that Allah commands you to become an ape? You are forbidden from imitating apes. Is the command "Be apes" a cosmic command or a legislative one? It is a cosmic command. So they became apes, despicable. Apes, humiliated. They are not counted among anyone. Humiliated. Allah afflicted them with apparent and hidden humiliation. But the apes known now are not the apes of the nation that was afflicted with that, because they perished.
I say, may Allah bless you. We return to the interpretation of the verse:
Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you until you visit the graves.
ألهاكم التكاثر حتى زرتم المقابرWe raised a question and answered it. The question is that some people are tested and call upon the occupant of the grave, and they are healed. What do we say? Did the occupant of the grave heal them? No. What is the evidence that the occupant of the grave did not heal them? From the Qur'an:
And who is more astray than he who invokes besides Allah those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection
ومن أضل ممن يدعو من دون الله من لا يستجيب إلى يوم القيامةAnd those whom you invoke other than Him do not possess [as much as] the membrane of a date seed. (14) If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association. And none can inform you like [one] Acquainted [with all matters].
والذين تدعون من دونه ما يملكون من قطمير إن تدعوهم لا يسمعوا دعاءكم ولو سمعوا ما استجابوا لكم ويوم القيامة يكفرون بشرككم ولا ينبؤك مثل خبيرIf you ask, then ask Allah. If you seek help, then seek help from Allah
إذا سألت فاسأل الله إذا استعنت فاستعن باللهI say: This one who was healed, it was only Allah Mighty and Majestic who healed him, not this buried person. But Allah the Exalted may test some of His servants by making disobedience easy for them, so that He the Exalted may test them.