The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 161
PT. 1 AL-BAQARAH a CH. 2 فَجَعَلْتُهَا نَكَالًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَها it an وَمَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ 67. Thus We made example to those of its time and to those who came after it, and a lesson to those who fear God. 73 "5:39. (apes) that the profaners of the Sabbath were actually transformed into apes. The incident has been related by the Quran in two other places (5:61, 62 and 7:167-169) and even a cursory study of these verses would show that these people did not actually turn into apes. The word "apes" has been used figuratively meaning that they became abject and like monkeys, the transformation being not in body or form but in character and spirit. mean, A further proof of this is to be found in the fact that it is a general rule of Arabic grammar that the suffix or is added to the plurals of such words as refer to rational beings only. In conformity with this rule, the qualifying word used in the verse about is which shows that the (apes) here alludes not to irrational but to rational beings, i. e. human beings who had developed the character of apes. Had the Quran meant their actual transformation into apes, it would have used the form خاسئين and not خاسئة Many learned commentators of the past have also held the above view. For instance, Mujāhid who is considered to be one of the greatest commentators of the Quran, being one of the (the immediate successors of the Holy Prophet's Companions) says: "They were not actually transformed into apes; only 161 their hearts were changed. God has used the expression figuratively" (Kathir). Other eminent authorities have also held the same view, interpreting the words³ (apes despised) asi. e. "abject and humiliated men". By using the word (apes) about a section of the Jews, God means to point to the fact that just as apes or monkeys are an abject and despised species which, in spite of possessing, in an extraordinary degree, the habit of mimicking or copying others—a habit which, if well directed, should result in progress ever remain where they are, as if going about in a circle and making no headway at all, similarly the Jews will always remain humiliated in the world, and in spite of wonderful resources in wealth and education will never be able to gain any stronghold on the earth. It is interesting to note that, as explained under Important Words, even in the root meaning of the word 8 there is the sense of abjectness and humiliation as well as that of grovelling in the dust. And what is still more interesting is the fact that, of all the animals found in the world, the advanced people of the West should think of man having descended from the ape. 73. Important Words: نكل an example) is derived from) نکالا