7:166

Salaam all,

Falamma AAataw AAan ma nuhoo AAanhu qulna lahum koonoo qiradatan khasieena

The Aya says:
So, when they overstepped beyond what they were forbidden from, We said to them: “Be despised, chased monkeys”

My personal note:
The term “be despised, chased monkeys” suggests that they did become monkeys that were despised and chased with the understanding that they were chased from the Mercy of God in addition that others will chase them away as a nuisance and so on.

The other thing to bring up here is that the ones that became monkeys according to this are the ones who broke the law and not others. This suggests that the ones who did not forbid them probably did not turn into monkeys and if they were punished then it is a different form of punishment that short of becoming monkeys.

The third point that is emphasized by Muslim scholars is that this group did become actual monkeys and then they died off without reproducing and that they died shortly thereafter. So, one should not assume that Monkeys are related, had genetic transfer of genes with this group or descended from this group.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Falamma: so when
AAataw: they transgressed/ they arrogantly transgressed/ they overstepped
AAaTAW is derived from the root Ain-T-Y or Ain -T-W and it means exceeding the limits and it has a hint of arrogance or disdain or a challenge. AAaTAW is an action that is completed. It means: the action of trasngressing the limit with arrogance happened by the subject (third person plural)
Aaan: from/ away from/ against
Ma: what
Nuhoo: they were forbidden/ they were asked to desist
Note: The root is N-H-Y and it means stopping or ending or desisting. This then takes different form according to the plane of thought of the sentence. NUHOO is an action that is completed. It means: the action of ordering the object (third person plural) to cease and desist is happened by an undeclared subject

AAanhu: from
Qulna: We said
Note: QULNA is derived from the root Qaf-W-L and it means saying in any way possible. QULNA is an action that is completed that is derived from the root. It means the action of saying happened by the subject (first person plural).

Lahum: to them
Koonoo: be/ become
Note: the root isroot K-W-N and it means being. KOONOO is an order addressed to a group. It means: be/ become
Qiradatan: monkeys
Note: the root is QAF-R-D and it means monkey. Conceptually, the term can be extended to point to something with lots of hair on the body as well as humiliation and disdain. QIRADATAN in this area means monkeys with the inclusion of hairiness, humiliation and disdain in the same meaning.
Khasieena: humiliated/ chased away, despised and chased
Note: the root word is KH-S-Hamza and it means to become chased away for verb, and chasing away for the noun. KHASI-EEN is a plural adjective that says Chased away

Salaam all and have a great day.

Hussein