Three Punishments of Bani Israel That Muslims Should Be Aware Of

(Bani Israel happens to be the community mentioned most in the Quran, reprimanded by Allah severely, reminded of the favors they received in ample, yet instead of being grateful they ended up bringing up the wrath of Allah upon them. Their rebellion against the commands of Allah, defying His orders, sets an examples for the Muslims, the readers of the Quran, to beware of imitating them in disobedience and rebelling against the command of Allah or else they might meet the same fate. This article discusses and recalls the punishment that Bani Israel received and will continue to receive till the day of Qiyamah (Day of Judgment), a fate that will await many Muslims of this Ummah as well if they follow them.) Take note the following warning issued by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ),

“You will follow the ways of those nations who were before you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a lizard, you would follow them.” We asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), [do you mean] the Jews and the Christians?” He said, “Whom else?” (Sahih Bukhari: 7320)

The above hadith is a prophecy about what the Muslims will do and also a statutory warning of what they should not do. Among the serious misdeeds of Bani Israel, one was to turn haram (the impermissible) into halal (permissible) by misinterpreting the  command of Allah. An exemplary story is mentioned in Surah Al-Araf and the consequence too is placed in the following verses, reminding the believers not to be confused with the verses of Allah.

“Ask them about the town by the sea, who broke the Sabbath. During the Sabbath, fish would come to them visible, but the fish were never seen on other days. In this way, We tested them for their rebelliousness.” [Surah Al Araf: 163]

Ibn Abbas ( Allah be pleased with him) said, “It was a village called Aiylah and was situated between Madyan and Tur. Allah tested them by forbidding them to fish on the Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) and sent the fish in bulk to tempt them as a test on the day it was banned to do fishing while the rest of the six days the fish did not turn up.” There were people among them who violated the commands of Allah by deceitful tricks. They dug up a canal, collected all the fish with nets and ropes that floated on Saturday and caught them the next day. They tried to justify by arguing that catching fish was forbidden and collecting them was not. The evil deeds appeared lawful on the surface and so was their punishment compatible for their sins. When they rebelled, they were divided into three groups. One that indulged in haram, the other did not indulge in it, but they did not stop others from it either, and the third stopped them from changing the command of Allah through the tricky ruling. However, the second group which appeared neutral tried to stop the third group which was committed to doing islah of the people, something that happens even today among many Muslims too. The Quran continues informing of the incident,

“And recall when a party of them said, ‘Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish severely?’ They said, ‘We admonish them to be able to offer an excuse before Your Lord, and in the hope that they will guard against disobedience.’” [Surah Al Araf: 164]

In the above verse, there are important lessons which many of us overlook.

1. Whenever one group stops people from evil, there will be those who will demoralize them and try to stop them.
2. The islah, correction of the people, is done for two reasons, to be exempted from the punishment of Allah and with a hope that people may take heed and stop the evil.
3. We should always try to be with the people who stop others from evil.

A Severe and Painful Punishment

“When they ignored the warning given to them, We rescued those who used to warn against evil and overtook the wrongdoers with a dreadful punishment for their rebelliousness. But when they stubbornly persisted in violation, We said to them, ‘Be disgraced apes!’ And when your Lord declared that He would send against them others who would make them suffer terribly until the Day of Judgment. Indeed, your Lord is swift in punishment, but He is certainly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. We dispersed them through the land in groups—some were righteous, others were less.” [Al Araf: 165- 168]

The Three Punishments Upon Bani Israel

1. They were turned into disgraceful apes. Ibn Abbas said, “Allah changed them into monkeys and swines. The young people were turned into monkeys and the old ones into swines.” (Tafsir Al Awfi-Al Baqarah: 65) Qatadah (the student of Ibn Abbas) said, “They were turned into howling monkeys with tails.” Imam Dahhak quotes Ibn Abbas as saying, “They lived on the earth for only three days, as no person who is transformed by divine punishment lives more than three days. They could not even eat or drink.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Al Baqarah: 65)
2. Allah imposed atrocious governments upon them. Ayat 167 says that Allah will send atrocious government upon them until the Day of Judgment, and it will be a humiliating torment. Ta’adhana means a vow-like declaration, a promised word. Musa made the Jews pay taxes for 7 to 13 years, and he was the first one to do so. History also informs us that the Jews fell under the Greek rulers Khushdanin and Chaldeans. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Al Araf: 167) Soon after Prophet Yahya was killed by the Jews. Nebuchadnezzar, a Mesopotamian ruler killed sixty thousand Jews in Jerusalem upon entering the city and later, the Crusaders disgraced the Jews for two centuries. (Qasasul Anbiya, under the The Story of Prophet Yahya).

Ibn Abbas said, “In the future, the Jews will side with the Dajjal and will be killed by Isa Ibn Maryam and his army of Muslims.” (Ibn Kathir, Al Araf: 167) The Muslims are warned by this story as the Qur’an says,

“In their stories are lessons for the men of understanding.” [Surah Yusuf: 111]

In a long hadith, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cautioned his followers about certain punishments as consequences of certain sins,

“If they cheat in weights and measures, they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity, and the oppression of their rulers.” (Sunan Ibn Majah: 4019)

1. They were divided into sects and groups. The formation of sects is deviation, and the Quran has forbidden the Muslims from committing it. It weakens the community, wipes away goodness, and makes the community easy prey to trials and tribulations of various kinds. It is a punishment of Allah that a community gets divided into sects. The following few verses informs us of the harms of division in the religion and in the community.

“And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute, lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and be patient.” [Surah Al Anfal: 46] “Those who have divided their religions and formed sects, you have nothing to do with them.” [Surah Al Anam: 159] “Hold fast to the rope of Allah and do not get divided.” [Surah Al e Imran: 103]

Turning Haram into Halal Invites Allah’s Punishment Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) instructed the Muslims, “Do not commit what the Jews committed, breaching what Allah has forbidden through deception.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Surah al Baqarah: 65, with a strong chain of narration) However, there will be people in this Ummah, as per the prophecy, who will turn the haram into haˆlal. Their punishment will be the same as one that has been given to Bani Israel. Abu Malik Ash’ari narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

“From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks, and the use of musical instruments as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, ‘Return to us tomorrow.’ Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection.” (Sahih Al Bukhari)

The stories of the Qur’an are not bedtime stories to be read to children to make them sleep, but are full of lessons, rules of Islamic ethics, and demands for being obedient and cautious of being punished. Summing up the story of Bani Israel’s divine punishment, Allah says,

“It is a lesson for those who are muttaqoon (righteous).” [Surah Al Baqarah: 65]