The disobedient were turned into monkeys

Some people from the Banī Isrāˈīl lived next to the ocean in a village called Aylah. They were all fishermen who made a living from catching and selling fish. They were living a pleasant life, but then they were tested. Thus, it became forbidden for them to fish on Saturdays.

[Allah Almighty is our Master; He commands us with whatever He wills. It is stated in the Quran:

لَا  یُسۡـَٔلُ  عَمَّا  یَفۡعَلُ  وَ  ہُمۡ  یُسۡـَٔلُوۡنَ (۲۳)

Translation from Kanz al-Īmān: “He (Allah) is not to be questioned what He does, and they (the people) will all be questioned.”^[1]

Why did Allah Almighty forbid them to fish on Saturdays? This is from His wisdom. He does whatever He wills, and we are His slaves. So, we obey the command of our Master with our eyes closed.]

Allah Almighty declared it forbidden for Banī Isrāˈīl to fish on Saturdays. Their test in this was that the ocean would become abundant with fish on Saturdays. After seeing so many fish, they were tempted. They wanted to catch the fish and sell them to earn great profit, but it was forbidden for them to do so. Although they were heartbroken, they remained patient for some time and continued to obey the command of Allah Almighty.

Then the Devil taught them a trick. They made large reservoirs near their homes which were connected to the ocean with pipes. On Saturdays, when there were many fish in the ocean, they would open the pipes and allow the fish to enter their reservoirs. They would capture the fish the next day. This was disobedience towards Allah Almighty. They only did this to console their hearts, otherwise hunting fish was forbidden for