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. 163 And recall what time a community of them said: why exhort ye a people whom Allah is going to destroy or chastise with a severe chastisenent? They said: to justify us before your Lord, and that haply they may fear. 164 Then, when they forgot what they had been exhorted, We delivered those who forbade evil and afflicted the wrong-doers with a grievous chastisement because of their evildoing. 165 And then, when they disdainfully persisted in doing what they had been forbidden to do, We said to them, "Be as apes, despised!" 166 Then your Lord declared He would send against them he who would oppress them cruelly till the Day of Resurrection. Swift is the retribution of your Lord, yet surely He is Forgiving, the Most Merciful. 167 And We divided them in the earth as separate groups; some of them are righteous and some are the other type; and We tested them with good (favours) and evil things (adversities) so that they may return. 168 Then others succeeded them who inherited the scriptures, and yet kept themselves occupied in acquiring the goods of this world and kept saying: 'We shall be forgiven.' And when there comes to them an opportunity for acquiring more of those goods, they seize it. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not ascribe to Allah anything but the truth? And they have read what is in the Book and know that the abode of the Hereafter is better for the God-fearing. Do you not understand? 169 And as to those who hold fast to the Book (i.e. act on its teachings) and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), certainly, We shall never waste the reward of those who do righteous deeds. 170 ۞ And recall what time We shook the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they imagined that it was going to fall on them; and We said: hold with firmness that which We have vouchsafed you, and remember that which is therein, that haply ye may fear. 171