Ask them about the village that overlooked the sea and what befell (its people) when they broke the Sabbath. Each Sabbath, their fish came swimming towards the shore, but on other days they did not come to them. As such We tempted them (the people) because they had done wrong. 163 And when a group among them said, “Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is going to destroy or mete out a severe punishment?” They said, “To have an excuse before your Lord, and that perhaps they may fear.” 164 And when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment, because they were defiantly disobeying. 165 And when they turned in disdain from that forbidding We said to them, 'Be you apes, miserably slinking!' 166 And recall when Your Lord proclaimed that 'He would continually set in authority over them, till the Day of Judgement, those who would ruthless oppress thern.' Surely, your Lord is swift in chastising; and yet He is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful. 167 And We have sundered them in the earth as (separate) nations. Some of them are righteous, and some far from that. And We have tried them with good things and evil things that haply they might return. 168 Then others succeeded them who inherited the Book and availed themselves of the vanities of this lower world, saying: 'It will be forgiven us' But if similar vanities came their way, they would again take them. Have they not taken the covenant of the Book, which they have studied, to tell nothing of Allah except what is true? Surely, the Everlasting Life is better for the cautious, do you not understand! 169 And as for those who make (men) keep the Scripture, and establish worship - lo! We squander not the wages of reformers. 170 ۞ When We raised the mount above them as a shadow and made it speak to them, they thought that it would fall on them. We told them to devote themselves decisively to what was given to them and follow its guidance so that they would have fear of God. 171