The wisdom behind Allah the Exalted’s saying to the Children of Israel: “Be you apes,” and why He did not say: “Be you donkeys” or something else.
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The Shaykh : He did not say: “Be you donkeys.” Had He said: “Be you donkeys,” they would have become donkeys. But He said: “Be you apes,” because the ape is the creature most resembling the human, and their vile deed is most resembling the lawful, for it was a ruse. One who looks at it on the surface says: “They did not hunt on the day of Saturday; they did not hunt on the day of Saturday. They set the nets on Friday and took the fish on Sunday.” So its appearance was that of the lawful, but it was forbidden. Thus the punishment was perfectly fitting for the deed. In this is a principle that Allah the Mighty and Majestic mentioned in His Book, that the recompense is of the same kind as the deed. He said: [Al-'Ankabut 29:40] Every person is taken with the like of his crime. So it was said to these people: “Be you apes, despised,” and they became apes. They became apes, howling in the markets, may Allah protect us from that. But here He says: [Al-A'raf 7:165] And they were divided into three groups: a group that performed the ruse, a group that remained silent, and a group that forbade. Those who remained silent used to say to those who forbade the evil: [Al-A'raf 7:164] Meaning: “Leave them; these are perishing people. Do not admonish them; admonition does not benefit them.” [Al-A'raf 7:164] [Taha 20:44] And here He said: But Allah the Mighty and Majestic remained silent regarding this third group. [Al-A'raf 7:165] So the scholars differed: Did the silent group receive the punishment, or did they escape? And what we should do is to remain silent as Allah remained silent. We say: As for the group that forbade, they escaped. As for the group that fell into the forbidden, they perished and received the punishment. As for the silent group, Allah simply remained silent about them, and what is in the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic is sufficient for us. And success is from Allah.
...by force, by the tongue, so that their evil is removed through enjoining and forbidding and admonition. By the heart, if a person is unable, he strives against them with his heart, meaning he conceals in himself that whenever he is able to change the evil in them, he will do so. Thus he is determined in his heart to strive against them. This also makes him a believer. But there is not a mustard seed’s worth of faith beyond that. Meaning, if he does not strive, even with his heart, then he has nothing of faith. For striving with the heart, if one fears Allah as much as he is able, is undoubtedly part of faith. But it is obligatory for a person to exert his effort in removing evil by hand, or by tongue, or by heart. And success is from Allah.
So each We seized for his sin
فَكُلّاً أَخَذْنَا بِذَنْبِهِWe saved those who had forbidden evil
أَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِWhy do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?
لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْماً اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَاباً شَدِيداًthey [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."
قالوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَAnd speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah]."
فَقُولا لَهُ قَوْلاً لَيِّناً لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىPerhaps they will fear Allah
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَWe saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment
أَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ...by force, by the tongue, so that their evil is removed through enjoining and forbidding and admonition. By the heart, if a person is unable, he strives against them with his heart, meaning he conceals in himself that whenever he is able to change the evil in them, he will do so. Thus he is determined in his heart to strive against them. This also makes him a believer. But there is not a mustard seed’s worth of faith beyond that. Meaning, if he does not strive, even with his heart, then he has nothing of faith. For striving with the heart, if one fears Allah as much as he is able, is undoubtedly part of faith. But it is obligatory for a person to exert his effort in removing evil by hand, or by tongue, or by heart. And success is from Allah.