سورة الاٴعرَاف
Surah Al-A‘râf 7:163
The Elevated Places · Verse 163 of 206
وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ
Abdul Mannan Omar
And ask them as to (what happened to the people of) the township (- Eila) which was on the seashore (of the Red Sea) when they profaned the Sabbath. On the day of their Sabbath their fish appeared to them in shoals upon shoals on the surface (of the water), but on the day when they did not observe the Sabbath (and fishing was open), it did not appear to them. Thus did We go on making a distinction between the good and the evil ones of them by means of their acts of disobedience.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea. Behold! they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their Sabbath their fish did come to them, openly holding up their heads, but on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not: thus did We make a trial of them, for they were given to transgression.
Ahmed Ali
Enquire of them about the town situated by the sea where, when they did not keep the Sabbath, the fish came up to the surface of the water for them; but on days other than the Sabbath the fish did not come. We tried them in this way, for they were disobedient.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
Ask them about the township that was by the sea: how its people were violating the Sabbath when their fish came swimming to them on the day of their Sabbath, but on the day they did not keep Sabbath, they did not come to them. Thus did We test try as they were transgressing (all bounds).
Daryabadi
And ask thou them concerning the town that was close on the sea, when they transgressed in the matter of the sabt, when their fish came unto them openly on their sabt day, while they came not on the day whereon they kept not We proved them for the sabt.Thus they were wont to transgress.
Faridul Haque
And ask them (O dear Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) of the township that was by the sea; when they used to exceed in the matter of the Sabbath - when their fish used to come swimming atop the water in front of them on the day of Sabbath and not come on the days it was not Sabbath; this is how We used to test them, due to their disobedience.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
And ask them about the town which stood by the sea. When they violated the Sabbath, when their fish came to them on their Sabbath day on the surface, and when it was not their Sabbath they came not to them. Thus did We try them because they transgressed.
Maulvi Sher Ali
And ask them concerning the town which stood by the sea. When they profaned the Sabbath; when their fish came to them on their Sabbath day appearing on the surface of the water, but on the day when they did not keep the Sabbath, they came not to them. Thus did WE try them because they were rebellious.
Muhammad Asad
And ask them about that town which stood by the sea: how its people would profane the Sabbath whenever their fish came to them, breaking the water's surface, on a day on which they ought to have kept Sabbath - because they would not come to them on other than Sabbath-days! Thus did We try them by means of their [own] iniquitous doings.
Muhammad Musin Khan
And ask them (O Muhammad SAW) 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 (see the Qur'an: V.4
Muhammad Pickthall
Ask them (O Muhammad) of the township that was by the sea, how they did break the Sabbath, how their big fish came unto them visibly upon their Sabbath day and on a day when they did not keep Sabbath came they not unto them. Thus did We try them for that they were evil-livers.
Muhammad Sarwar
(Muhammad), ask them about the (people of the) towns on the seashore. They had transgressed by catching fish on the Sabbath. Each Sabbath the fish came openly within their reach but not so on other days. Thus, We were testing them because of their evil deeds.
Muhammed ali Shakir
And ask them about the town which stood by the sea; when they exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, when their fish came to them on the day of their Sabbath, appearing on the surface of the water, and on the day on which they did not keep the Sabbath they did not come to them; thus did We try them because they transgressed.
Rashad Khalifa
Remind them of the community by the sea, who desecrated the Sabbath. When they observed the Sabbath, the fish came to them abundantly. And when they violated the Sabbath, the fish did not come. We thus afflicted them, as a consequence of their transgression.
Shabbir Ahmed
Ask the Israelites about the township (Elat) that was located by the sea, and they had violated the Sabbath. The big fish used to come on the surface in abundance on their day of Sabbath, feeling secure, and did not come up on other days. (But the community failed to persevere, and broke the Sabbath to get a good catch.) Thus We tested them to see for themselves how they drift away from discipline.
Commentary 7:163 Sabat السَّبْتِ means comfort and rest. Metaphorically, the verse can also mean that when Allâh blesses some people with comfort and affluence, they…
وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ
7:163 Sabat السَّبْتِ means comfort and rest. Metaphorically, the verse can also mean that when Allâh blesses some people with comfort and affluence, they become fâsiq فاسق. Fâsiq is the one who is wicked, perverted, or commits lewdness (Lisân, Tâj, Lane). Nablû نَبْلُوis from balâ بلاء, meaning to try, or put someone on trial. Abraham was put on trial (2:124). Allâh puts some people on trial to give them a chance to mend their ways (cf. 2:124; 7:168; 2:156). Here, affluence and comfort is a kind of trial for people to become thankful and obedient servants of Allâh. Allâh says that this comfort and affluence made them disobedient, wicked and perverted.