Surah Al-A'raf 7:166
ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ
So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, "Be apes, despised."
Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:166
Tafsir
Mafatih al-Ghayb
Verse range: 7:166
Al-A'raf: (166) And when they were insolent regarding that which they had been forbidden...
Discussion Points:
The First Point: The term *‘utūw* (insolence/transgression) means refusal and disobedience. If they were insolent regarding what they were forbidden *from doing*, it would imply they obeyed (by refraining), which is clearly not the intended meaning. Therefore, an implied element must be present. The meaning is: "When they were insolent regarding **refraining from** what they were forbidden," and the object (refraining) was omitted. If they refused to stop the forbidden act, this constituted committing the forbidden act itself.
The Second Point: Some scholars have argued that the statement, "Be apes, despised," was not a verbal command, but rather an indication that God *caused* it to happen. This suggests that the verse in Surah An-Nahl (16:40), "Our saying to a thing when We intend it is only that We say to it, 'Be,' and it is, and it comes into being," means action rather than mere speech. Al-Zajjaj, however, stated that commanding them to become so by a heard utterance is more emphatic.
However, attributing the meaning to this interpretation is far-fetched because the one commanded to perform an action must be capable of doing it, and the people were not capable of transforming themselves into apes.
The Third Point: Ibn Abbas reported that the people woke up as despised apes. They remained so for three days, people saw them, and then they perished. It is also narrated from Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) that the youth among them became apes, while the elders became pigs. This latter narration contradicts the apparent meaning (of the verse).
There is disagreement on whether those who were transformed remained apes, and whether these apes were their descendants or if they perished, thus ending their lineage. The verse provides no indication regarding this. The discussion concerning transformation (maskh) and its related issues has already been covered exhaustively in Surah Al-Baqarah. And God knows best.