Ask them about the town which was by the sea and what befell its people when they broke the Sabbath. On their Sabbath the fish came to them near the surface, but on week-days they never came near them -- thus We tried them because of their disobedience. 163 When some of them said: "Why do ye preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?"- said the preachers:" To discharge our duty to your Lord, and perchance they may fear Him." 164 Therefore, when they forgot that of which they were reminded, We saved those who were forbidding evil, and seized the evildoers with an evil punishment for that which they used to do of evil. 165 And when they turned in disdain from that forbidding We said to them, 'Be you apes, miserably slinking!' 166 And remember when your Lord announced the command that till the Day of Resurrection I will certainly send such oppressors against them, who will inflict them with a dreadful punishment; indeed your Lord is swift in meting out punishment; and indeed He is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. 167 And We cut them up on the earth into parties, (some) of them being righteous and (others) of them falling short of that, and We tried them with blessings and misfortunes that they might turn. 168 They were succeeded by generations who inherited the Scripture and took to the fleeting gains of this world, saying, "We shall certainly be forgiven." If there came to them similar fleeting gains again, they would take them. Was a pledge not taken from them, written in the Scripture, that they would not say anything but the truth about God? And they have studied whatever is in it. Surely the Home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear Him. Will you not understand? 169 And (as for) those who hold fast by the Book and keep up prayer, surely We do not waste the reward of the right doers. 170 ۞ And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): "Hold firmly to what We have given you [i.e. the Taurat (Torah)], and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him." 171