PTI... A Dark Future of Pakistan

وفاقی وزیر ریلوے شیخ رشید احمد کے بارے میں ان کے حلقے کی عمومی رائے یہ ہے کہ وہ بہت ملنسار، خوشگفتار اور سلجھے ہوئے انسان ہیں۔ لیکن وزارت ملنے کے کچھ ہی عرصے میں سوشل اور پرنٹ و الیکٹرانک میڈیا پر نظر آنے والی ان کی حرکات یہ بتا رہی ہیں کہ وہ آج بھی ن لیگ دور میں رہ رہے ہیں۔ یا وہ ق لیگ کی ٹیم کا حصہ ہیں۔ کہیں سے بھی وہ 2018 کی پارلیمنٹ کے رکن یا عمران خان کی کابینہ کے وزیر نہیں لگتے۔ ریلوے کے چیف کمرشل آفیسر کے ساتھ تلخ کلامی اور اس کے بعد کی تمام صورتحال سامنے ہے۔ موجودہ حکومت کے لیے ن لیگ کی کارکردگی ایک سوالیہ نشان ہے۔ اب اگر تحریک انصاف کو اپنا لوہا منوانا ہے تو اس کو اس کے مقابلے میں زیادہ کارکردگی دکھانا ہو گی۔ اسی لیے پی ٹی آئی اور ان کے اتحادی تیزی سے پیشقدمی کر رہے ہیں۔ لیکن اس پیش قدمی میں وہ ایسے اقدامات کر چکے ہیں کہ جس کو پاکستانی ادارے اور عوام دونوں ناپسندیدگی کی نظر سے دیکھتے ہیں۔

تحریک انصاف اور ان کے اتحادیوں کو یہ بات سمجھنی چاہئے کہ اب وہ حکومت کر رہے ہیں۔ ایسی صورت میں وہ اگر عوام کے ساتھ پچھلی حکومتوں والا سلوک رکھیں گے تو 22 سال کی محنت 22 دن میں ضائع ہو جائے گی۔ پہلے ہی عوام میں یہ سوچ پائی جاتی ہے کہ پی ٹی آئی صرف عمران خان کا نام ہے۔ اب اگر خان صاحب کا کوئی وزیر یا اتحادی ایسی حرکت کرے گا تو لامحالہ یہ سوچ ابھرے گی کہ غالبا عمران خان اپنے وزیروں اور اتحادیوں کو کنٹرول نہیں کر سکتے۔

PTI... A Dark Future of Pakistan

وزیراعظم عمران خان کی اہلیہ کے سابق شوہر خاور مانیکا کے مبینہ دبائو پر پاک پتن کے ڈی پی او کو غیر مہذب انداز سے عہدے سے ہٹانا نہ صرف پی ٹی آئی کے منشور اور قانون کی بالادستی کو برقرار رکھنے کے حوالے سے پہلی واضح خلاف ورزی ہے بلکہ سپریم کورٹ کے انیتا تراب کیس میں سنائے گئے فیصلے کی بھی خلاف ورزی ہے۔ ’’غیر پیشہ ورانہ اور بدتمیز‘‘ شخص قرار دیتے ہوئے ایک سینئر افسر کی جانب سے نئے وزیر ریلوے شیخ رشید کے تحت کام سے انکار کے ایک دن بعد، ڈی پی او پاک پتن کے حوالے سے میڈیا میں آنے والے واقعے نے عمران خان کی حکومت کے ساتھ بڑی امیدیں وابستہ کرنے والی ملک کی سویلین بیوروکریسی کی حوصلہ شکنی میں اہم کردار ادا کیا ہے۔

آج کی خبر پڑھ کر محسوس ہوا کہ پی ٹی آئی کے بارے میں میرا گزشتہ تجزیہ کس حد تک درست تھا۔ پی ٹی آئی کی حکومت ایک ناتجربہ کار اور کمزور حکومت ہے۔ غالباً ن لیگ کے موجودہ صدر شہباز شریف کے الفاظ تھے کہ ملک کو 30 سال پیچھے دھکیل دیا گیا ہے۔ خاور مانیکا کے حوالے سے میڈیا کی زینت بننے والی خبر سے یہ واضح ہو گیا کہ عمران خان اور ان کی ٹیم کے پاس فی الحال کوئی روڈ میپ یا لائحہ عمل نہیں ہے جسے وہ ملکی نظم و نسق چلانے کے لیے پارٹی پالیسی کے طور پر پیش کر سکیں۔ اپوزیشن میں بیٹھ کر نعرہ بازی کرنے سے کوئی شخص سیاست دان نہیں بن جاتا۔ حکومت کے ابتدائی 100 دن کی کارکردگی ہی یہ فیصلہ کر دے گی کہ پی ٹی آئی جو اسٹیبلشمنٹ اور بیوروکریسی کے گٹھ جوڑ سے حکومت بنانے میں کامیاب ہوئی ہے، کس حد تک اپنے منشور اور وعدوں پر عمل کر سکتی ہے۔

PTI... A Dark Future of Pakistan.

پی ٹی آئی۔۔۔ پرانے کاریگروں کا نیا پاکستان

پی ٹی آئی کی حکومت مکمل طور پر قائم ہو چکی ہے۔ ملک کے دو صوبوں اور وفاق میں مکمل حکومت کے مزے لینے کے ساتھ ساتھ ایک صوبے کی نصف حصے دار بن چکی ہے۔ عمران خان اپنے وژن کے مطابق پورے زور و شور سے کام کرنے کی پوزیشن میں ہیں۔ پہلے 100 دن کا ایجنڈا پیش کیا جا چکا ہے۔ تمام پرنٹ اور الیکٹرانک میڈیا اب اس بات پر نظر رکھے ہوئے ہے کہ کیا خان صاحب اپنے اعلان اور دعووں پر عمل کریں گے۔

دوسری طرف اپوزیشن تین بڑے حصوں میں تقسیم ہے۔ پی پی پی پی، ن لیگ اور ایم ایم اے۔ ساتھ میں ایک کمزور مگر مستند ساتھ اے این پی کی ایک سیٹ کا بھی ہے۔ بظاہر مضبوط اور پائیدار پی ٹی آئی کی حکومت کے مقابلے میں ایک کمزور اور منقسم اپوزیشن۔

قطع نظر اس سے کہ پی ٹی آئی کو جیت میں کس کا کردار کتنا تھا۔ یا یہ کہیں کہ پی ٹی آئی کو جتوانے میں عناصر شامل تھے۔ اب موجودہ حکومت کو یہ موقع بہرحال ملنا چاہیے کہ وہ اپنی مدت پوری کرے۔ یہی وہ سوچ ہے جس نے اپوزیشن کو ایک پلیٹ فارم دیا۔ ابتدا میں ایم ایم اے کے مولانا فضل الرحمن صاحب کا زور اس بات پر تھا کہ اسمبلی کا بائکاٹ کیا جائے۔ مگر ان کے اپنے اتحادی ہی اس بات سے متفق نہ تھے۔ جبکہ ن لیگ اور پی پی پی نے واضح طور پر اس تجویز کو مسترد کر دیا تھا۔ اسی بنیاد پر میڈیا میں نظر آنے والے واضح اختلافات کے باوجود اپوزیشن ایک مضبوط وجود رکھتی ہے۔ جبکہ پی ٹی آئی اپنے اتحادیوں کے ساتھ ایک مضبوط پوزیشن رکھنے کے باوجود کوئی بھی قدم اٹھانے میں بیسیوں بار سوچتی ہے۔

عمران خان کا وژن میڈیا پر جو بھی پیش کیا جائے، یہ ایک حقیقت ہے جسے پی ٹی آئی کو تسلیم کرنا پڑے گا، کہ عمران خان کے اپنی ذات کو چھوڑ کر باقی تمام سرکردہ لوگ ماضی میں دیگر پارٹیوں کا حصہ رہے اور وقتی مفاد کے لیے پارٹی بدلتے رہے ہیں۔ موجودہ میڈیا وزیر فواد چوہدری، جنرل مشرف کے نعرے لگاتے رہے۔ جنوبی پنجاب محاز کے سرکردہ لوگ دس سال تک ن لیگ کے ساتھ رہے۔ جہانگیر ترین نااہلی کے باوجود آج بھی پی ٹی آئی کا حصہ ہیں۔ اور یہ ایک مسلمہ حقیقت ہے کہ سپریم کورٹ نے انہیں صادق اور امین قرار نہیں دیا۔ ایسے شخص کو پنجاب کی حکومت سازی میں متحرک کردار پی ٹی آئی کی ساکھ کو داغدار کرتا ہے۔ علیم خان دولت کے بل بوتے پر پنجاب کے آزاد ارکان کو پی ٹی آئی میں شامل کرتے ہیں۔ جبکہ حکومت سازی کے لیے مطلوبہ تعداد پوری ہونے کے باوجود ہفتہ بھر ایسے رکن کو تلاش کرنا پڑتا ہے جسے وزیر اعلیٰ کے کرسی پر بٹھایا جا سکے تو اس کے خلاف نیب کے کیسزز نہ ہو۔ ایک ہفتہ کی طویل تلاش کے بعد جو شخص چنا جاتا ہے، اس کا دعوی تو یہ ہے کہ وہ مڈل کلاس سے تعلق رکھتا ہے۔ مگر دو کروڑ سے زائد کے اثاثوں کا مالک نکلتا ہے۔ غرض ن لیگ اور پی پی پی کی طرح پی ٹی آئی میں بھی وہی ٹولہ سرگرم ہے جو طاقت اور پیسے کے بل بوتے پر کسی بھی حکومت کا حصہ بن کر عوام کی خصوصی خدمت کرتا ہے۔

نیا پاکستان بنانے والوں کو نئے کاریگر دستیاب نہ ہو سکے تو انہوں نے پرانے اوزاروں سے ہی کام چلا لیا۔ شاباش عمران خان۔

Alwase'a Online Quran

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

وَإِذْ قَتَلْتُمْ نَفْسًا فَادَّارَأْتُمْ فِيهَا وَاللَّهُ مُخْرِجٌ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ ﴿2:72﴾ 

(2:72) You should also recall to mind another incident: You slew a man and began to dispute about the murder and accuse one another of it, but Allah had decreed that what you were trying to hide should be disclosed.

فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا كَذَلِكَ يُحْيِي اللَّهُ الْمَوْتَى وَيُرِيكُمْ آَيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ﴿2:73﴾ 

(2:73) So We commanded, "Strike the corpse of the murdered man with a part of the sacrificed cow. See how Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His Signs, so that you may understand". *85

*85. At least one thing becomes clear from this statement: that the slain person was restored to life at least long enough to indicate his assassins. But the actual words in which the order 'smite the corpse with a part of it' is couche tend to create a measure of ambiguity. Nevertheless, the meaning inferred by the early Qur'anic commentators - that the order was to smite the slain man's body with some part of the slaughtered cow - seems to me plausible. Two birds were thus killed with one stone: first, they were made to behold a sign of God's power; and second, the notion that the cow possessed any holiness or sanctity was shattered. For if the of the object of their worship - the cow - had any supernatural power, some calamity should have visited them as a consequenceof slaughtering it. But no calamity took place. On the contrary, killing the cow seemed to be beneficial insofar as striking a dead man with a part of it brought him back to life. 

ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الْأَنْهَارُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاءُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿2:74﴾ 

(2:74) But even after seeing these Signs your hearts hardened and became as hard as rocks; nay, even harder than rocks. For there are some rocks out of which springs gush forth, and others which split open, and water issues out of them; then there are some which tumble down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you are doing.

أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿2:75﴾ 

(2:75) O Muslims, do you then expect that these people will accept your invitation and become believers? *86 whereas there have always been among them some who have been hearing the Word of God, understanding it well and then perverting and tampering with it knowingly. *87

*86. This is addressed to the converts of Madina, who had then lately embraced the faith of the Arabian Prophet. These people had some vague notions about Prophethood, Heavenly Scriptures, Angels, the After-life, Divine Law and so on, and for this they were indebted to their Jewish neighbours. It was from these same Jewish neighbours that they had heard that another Prophet was about to appear, and that his followers would prevail over the rest of the world.
It was partly because of this background that when the people of Madina heard about the Prophet, they readily turned towards him and embraced Islam in large numbers. They naturally expected that those who already followed Prophets and Divine Scriptures, and who, by introducing them to these ideas had contributed to their embracing the true faith, would not only join the ranks of the true believers, but would even be amongst their vanguard. As a result of these expectations the enthusiastic Muslim converts approached their Jewish friends and neighbours and invited them to embrace Islam. When the Jews flatly declined to do so, this negative reply was exploited by the hypocrites and other enemies of Islam as an argument for creating doubts about the truth of Islam.
If Muhammad was the true Prophet, they argued, how was it conceivable that the Jewish scholars and divines would deliberately turn away from him since, if he was a true Prophet, such a behaviour would be tantamount to ruining their After-life? Here the simple-hearted Muslims learn of the historical record of the Jews, a record which is replete with perversion and corruption. This was designed to make them realize that they ought not to expect too much of a people with so dark a past, for if they were not realistic in their expectations about them they would be utterly disappointed when their call failed to penetrate their hardened and stony hearts. Their chronic decadence had a history of several centuries. For a long time they had treated those verses of the Scriptures which made sincere believers tremble in awe as objects of jest and play. They had tailored religion to suit their base desires and it was around such a perverted view of religion that all their hopes of salvation were centred. It was futile to hope that such people would flock to the call of Truth the moment it was proclaimed.
*87. 'A party of them' refers to the scholars and religious doctors of the Jewish community. The'Word of God' here signifies the Torah, the Psalms (Zabur) and other Scriptures which the Jews had received through the Prophets. 'Distortion' denotes the attempt to twist a text in such a manner as to make it signify something different from its real meaning, and may also denote tampering with the text of the Scriptures. The Israelite scholars had subjected the Scriptures to distortions of both kinds. 

وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا قَالُوا آَمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ قَالُوا أَتُحَدِّثُونَهُمْ بِمَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُحَاجُّوكُمْ بِهِ عِنْدَ رَبِّكُمْ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿2:76﴾ 

(2:76) When they meet those who believe in Muhammad, they say, "We also believe in him." But when they meet one another in private, they say, "Have you got no sense that you disclose to them those things which Allah has revealed to you so that they might bring them as a proof against you before your Lord? *88

*88. When the Jews talked among themselves they asked their co-religionists to disclose to the Muslims neither the prophesies about the Prophet, nor those verses of the Scriptures on the basis of which they could be reproached for their evil conduct; they thought that the Muslims would make use of scriptural arguments against them before God, and would thus have them pronounced guilty. These were the depths to which Jewish relivious decadence had sunk. They were convinced that if they could succeed in concealing their guilt in this world, they would be saved from censure in the Next. For this reason they were asked if they considered God to be unaware of their deeds, either apparent or hidden. 

أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ﴿2:77﴾ 

(2:77) Do they really not know that Allah is fully aware of what they hide and what they disclose?

وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا أَمَانِيَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ ﴿2:78﴾ 

(2:78) Then there are among them some un-lettered people who have no knowledge of the Book but depend upon empty hopes and are guided by mere conjecture and guess-work. *89

*89. This was the state of the Jewish masses. They were ignorant of the Scriptures, unaware of the principles of faith as enunciated by God in His Book, unaware of the rules of conduct that He had laid down, and of the teachings which are of fundamental importance for man's salvation. Because they lacked this knowledge, they fabricated a whole religion out of their desires and fancies, living in a paradise built on false hopes and illusions. 

فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿2:79﴾ 

(2:79) So woe to their learned people, who write the law with their own hands and then say to the people, "This is from Allah," so that they might gain some paltry worldly end. *90 (They do not see that) this writing of their hands will bring woe to them and what they gain thereby will lead to their ruin.

*90. These observations relate to their rabbis. They were not content with misinterpreting the Word of God. They also interjected into it their readings of the Scriptures and their explanatory comments thereof, stories from their national history, superstitious ideas and fancies, philosophical doctrines and legal rules. The result was that the Divine and the human became inextricably mixed. They claimed, nevertheless, that the entire thing was divine! Every historical anecdote, the interpretation of every commentator, the doctrine of every theologian, and the legal deduction of every jurist that managed to find its way into the Bible became the 'Word of God'. It was thus obligatory to believe in all that, and every deviation from it became tantamount to deviation from the true faith. 

وَقَالُوا لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَةً قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ عَهْدَهُ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿2:80﴾ 

(2:80) They also say, "The fire of Hell is not going to touch us, and even if it does at all, it will be only for a few days". *91 Say, "Have you obtained a promise from Allah which He would not break? Or, do you attribute to Allah things you do not know? Why will not the fire of Hell touch you?

*91. This is a misconception entertained by all Jews, laymen as well as rabbis. They felt sure that no matter what they did, they would remain immune from hell-fire just by virtue of being Jews! The worst they could conceive of was the possibility of a transient punishment before they were transported to heaven. 

بَلَى مَنْ كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ﴿2:81﴾ 

(2:81) Whoever earns evil and becomes engrossed in sin shall be doomed to Hell and abide therein for ever.

وَالَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ﴿2:82﴾ 

(2:82) Only those people who believe and do good deeds, will be the dwellers of the Garden and live there for ever.

Alwase'a Online Quran

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آَمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآَخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿2:62﴾ 

(2:62) Rest assured that whosoever from among the Muslims or the Jews or the Christians or the Sabaeans believes in Allah and the Last Day, and performs good deeds, he will have his reward with his Lord and he will have no cause for fear and grief. *80

*80. The context of the verse makes it clear that it is not attempting to enumerate in detail all the articles of faith in which one should believe, or all the principles of conduct which one should follow in order to merit reward from God. These matters are mentioned elsewhere, in their appropriate places. The aim of the verse is merely to repudiate the illusion cherished by the Jews that, by virtue of their being Jews, they have a monopoly of salvation. They had long entertained the notion that a special and exclusive relationship existed between them and God. They thought, therefore, that all who belonged to their group were predestined to salvation regardless of their beliefs and actions,. whereas all non-Jews were predestined to serve as fodder for hell-fire.
To clarify this misgiving the Jews are told that what really matters in the sight of God is true faith and good deeds rather than formal affiliation with a certain religious community. Whoever has true faith and good deeds to his credit is bound to receive his reward, since God will judge people on the basis of merit rather than on the grounds that a man's name happens to be listed in the world as a member of one religious community or the other. 

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آَتَيْنَاكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿2:63﴾ 

(2:63) Call to mind the time when We raised above you the Tur and made a covenant with you, *81 saying, "Hold fast to the Book which We are giving you and bear in mind the commands and precepts contained therein. It is expected that this will lead you on to the paths of virtue and piety."

*81. From the manner in which this incident is described at various places in the Qur'an it is obvious that, at that time, it was quite well known to the Israelites. It is difficult, however, after the Passage of many centuries to be able to speak with certaintainty about the precise nature of the incident. All we can say is that while the Children of israeI were making their covenant in the shadow of Mount Sinai, they witnessed an aweseme phenomenon and felt as if the mountain was about to fall upon them. Verse 171 of Surah al-A'raf seems to portray this. (See also n. 132 in that surah.) 

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَكُنْتُمْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ﴿2:64﴾ 

(2:64) But even after that you forsook the Covenant: nevertheless Allah did not withhold His grace and mercy from you; otherwise you would have been utterly ruined long before this.

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنْكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ ﴿2:65﴾ 

(2:65) And you know well the story of those among you who broke Sabbath. *82 We said to them, "Be apes *83 despised and hated by all.

*82. Sabbath, i.e., Saturday . Itwas laid down that the Israelite should consecrate that day for rest and worship. They were required to from abstain from all worldly acts, including cooking (which they mightneither do themselves, nor have their servants do for them). The injunctions, in this connection wereso strict that violation of the Sabath was to be punished with death. (See Exodus 31:12-17. ) When religious and moral decadence, however, spread among the Israelites they indulged in open desecration of the Sabbath, so much so that in jewish towns trade and commerce were carried out in broad daylight.
*83. The details of this incident are mentioned later in Surah 7, vv. 163 ff. The exact manner in which their transformation into apes took place is disputed. Some scholars are of the opinion that the transformation was a physical one, while others hold that they were invested with the attributes characteristic of apes. But both the words and the manner in which this incident is recounted in the Qur'ain seem to suggest that what took place was a physical transformation of certain persons into apes rather than just a moral metamorphosis. What seems plausible to me is that while their minds were allowed to remain intact, their bodies were changed into those of apes. 

فَجَعَلْنَاهَا نَكَالًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿2:66﴾ 

(2:66) Thus We made their end a warning to the people of their time and succeeding generations, and an admonition for God-fearing people.

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً قَالُوا أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ ﴿2:67﴾ 

(2:67) Then call to mind the other event: when Moses said to his people, "Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow," they replied, "Do you mean to have a jest with us?" He answered, "I crave Allah's protection from behaving like ignorant people."

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَا فَارِضٌ وَلَا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ فَافْعَلُوا مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿2:68﴾ 

(2:68) Then they said, "Please make a request to your Lord to give us some details of the cow." Moses answered, "Allah says that the cow should neither be old nor immature but of middle age. Do, therefore, as you are bidden."

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا لَوْنُهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفْرَاءُ فَاقِعٌ لَوْنُهَا تَسُرُّ النَّاظِرِينَ ﴿2:69﴾ 

(2:69) But they further asked, "Please request your Lord to make it clear to us of what colour she should be." Moses answered, "He says that she should be of yellow colour, so deep and bright as to delight the beholders."

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشَابَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ﴿2:70﴾ 

(2:70) Again they said, "Pray your Lord to specify for us the kind of cow that is required; for cows (of this type) look alike to us. We shall then find her, if God so wills."

قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَا ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ الْأَرْضَ وَلَا تَسْقِي الْحَرْثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لَا شِيَةَ فِيهَا قَالُوا الْآَنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿2:71﴾ 

(2:71Moses answered, "Allah says that she should be a cow which has not been yoked nor has ploughed the land nor watered the fields; which is sound and whole, without belemish. " Then they cried out, "Now you have given an accurate description. " Then they sacrificed her but they did not appear to be doing this willingly. *84

*84. Through contact with neighbouring peoples, the Israelites had become infested with the attitude of sanctifying the cow, in fact they had even become accustomed to cow-worship. In order to disabuse the Jews of this, they were ordered to slaughter the cow. Their professed belief that God alone was worthy of worship could be tested only by making them slaughter with their own hands what they had formerly worshipped. This test was indeed a hard one since their hearts were not fully imbued with faith. Hence, they tried to shelve the issue by resorting to enquiries about the kind of animal they were required to slaughter. But the more they enquired, the narrower the strait became for them, until the indications were as obvious as if someone had put his finger precisely on the particular animal they were required to slaughter - the animal which had for so long been an object of their worship. The Old Testament also mentions the incident, but there is no reference to the manner in which the Jews tried to evade the matter. (See Numbers 19: 1-10.) 

Alwase'a Online Quran

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

وَإِذِ اسْتَسْقَى مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانْفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَشْرَبَهُمْ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا مِنْ رِزْقِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ ﴿2:60﴾ 

(2:60) Remember that when Moses prayed for water for his people, We answered, "Strike the rock with your staff" : whereupon twelve springs gushed forth from it; *76the people of every clan came to know their drinking place. (Then they were enjoined:) "Eat and drink of what Allah has provided and do not spread disorder on the earth."

*76 That rock can still be seen in the Sinai Peninsula with the twelve holes of the springs. Twelve springs were caused to flow for the Israelites in order to avoid water disputes among their twelve clans. 

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَنْ نَصْبِرَ عَلَى طَعَامٍ وَاحِدٍ فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ مِنْ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّائِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَى بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ اهْبِطُوا مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُمْ مَا سَأَلْتُمْ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَاءُو بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآَيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ذَلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ ﴿2:61﴾ 

(2:61) Remember: You grumbled: "O Moses, we cannot endure one and the same sort of food. Pray your Lord to bring for us the products of the earth green herbs, vegetables, corn, garlic, onions, pulses and the like." Moses replied: "What! would you exchange that which is meaner for that which is nobler? *77 Well, go and live in a town and you will get there what you demand." By and by, they became so degraded that disgrace and humiliation, misery and wretchedness were stamped upon them and they incurred Allah's wrath. That was because they began to reject the Revelations of Allah *78 and kill His Messengers without any just cause; *79 that was the consequence of their disobedience and their persistent transgression against the Law.

*77. This does not mean that their real fault lay in asking for things which entailed cultivation instead of availing themselves of manna and quails which they received without any toil. What is emphasized here is that rather than being concerned with the great purpose for which they had been brought to the Sinai they relished the foods which gratified their palates to such a degree that they could not forgo them even temporarily (cf. Numbers 11: 4-9).
*78. There are several ways in which one might deny the signs of God. First, one might refuse to accept those teachings of God which one found contrary to one's fancies and desires. Second, one might know that something is from God and yet wilfully flout it. Third, one might know well the import of God's directives and yet distort them.
*79. The Israelites recorded their crimes in detail in their own history. Here are just a few examples from the Bible:
(1) After the death of Solomon the state of the Israelites was split into two: the State of Judah with its capital in Jerusalem, and the State of Israel with its capital in Samaria. This was followed by a series of wars between the two States so that the State of Judah sought the assistance of the Aramacan State of Damascus against its own kinsmen. At this, Hamani the seer went under God's direction to Asa the king and rebuked him. Instead of rectifying his behaviour, Asa was so angry that he put the seer in the stocks. (See 2 Chronicles 16: 7-10.)
(2) When Elijah denounced the Jews for their worship of Baal and invited them to retun to monotheism, Ahab, the king of Israel pursued him for the sake of his pagan wife so that he had to take refuge in the mountains of the Sinai peninsula. On this occasion, according to the Bible, he said: '. . . the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword., and 1, even 1 only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away' (1 Kings 19: 14).
(3) The same king Ahab imprisoned another Prophet, Micah, for no other reason than that of speaking the truth. King Ahab ordered that he should be given only bread and water. (See 1 Kings 22: 26-7)
(4) When idol-worship and moral corruption became prevalent in Judah and the Prophet Zechariah raised his voice against them, he was stoned to death in the very court of the house of the Lord. (See 2 Chronicles 24: 2l.)
(5) When the Israelite State of Samaria was wiped out by the State of Jerusalem, the Prophet Jeremiah deplored the condition of the Israelites. He warned them that it was time they set about mending their ways otherwise they would face an even more calamitous end than that of Samaria. The response to this sincere preaching was abuse and curses: he was beaten, imprisoned, put in the stocks and lowered by ropes into a cistern, where he was left to die of hunger and thirst. He was also accused of various crimes, including treason and conspiracy. (See Jeremiah 15: 10; 18: 20-3; 20: 1-18; 36-40)
(6) It is reported of another Prophet, Amos, that when he denounced the widespread errors and corruption in the State of Samaria and warned of the evil consequences that follow such misdeeds, he was condemned to exile and told to pursue his prophetic task somewhere beyond its frontiers. (See Amos 7: 10-13.)
(7) When John the Baptist protested against the acts of moral corruption that were brazenly practised in his court, Herod, the ruler of Judah, first put John into prison, then had him beheaded at the request of a dancing girl, and had his head set on a platter and presented to the girl. (See Mark 6: 17-29)
(8) The same hostility to Prophets is evident from the life of Jesus. The priests and political leaders of Israel ultimately became inflamed against Jesus, who criticized them for their impiety and hypocrisy and invited them to true faith and riahteousness. It was this which piompted them to prepare a false case against him and persuade the Romans to sign a death sentence. Later, when the Roman governor, Pilate, asked them which of the two prisoners - Jesus or Barabbas, a notorious brigand - should be released on the occasion of the feast, they asked for the release of Barabbas and for the crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 27: 20-6). This is a shameful chapter in the record of the Jewish nation, to which the Qur'an refers here in passing. It is evident that when a nation chooses its most notoriously criminal and wicked people for positions of leadership, and its righteous and holy men for gaol and the scaffold, God has no alternative but to lay His curse and damnation on that nation. 

Alwase'a Online Quran

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ﴿2:47﴾ 

(2:47) O Children of Israel! Just recall to mind My favour that bestowed upon you, and remember that I exalted you above all the peoples of the world. *62

*62. This refers to that period of human history when, of all nations, only the Children of Israel possessed that knowledge of Truth which comes from God alone. At that time they were entrusted with the task of directing the nations of the world to righteousness; they were expected to serve God and to invite the rest of the world to do the same. 

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ ﴿2:48﴾ 

(2:48) And guard yourselves against the Day when no one shall avail anyone anything; nor shall intercession be accepted from anyone; nor shall anyone be acquitted for any (amount of) ransom; nor shall the guilty ones be helped from any quarter. *63

*63. A major reason for the degeneration of the Israelites was the corruption of their beliefs about the After that since they were related to those venerable saints and pious men who had dedicated themselves entirely to the service of God in the past, the, would be forgiven by the grace of those great men. They believed that once they had bound themselves firmly to those men of God, it would become imposible for God to punish them. Such false reliance made them negligent of true religious piety and enmeshed them in a life of sin and wickedness. Hence, as well as reminding the Children of Israel of God's favour upon them, it was necessary to refute all the false ideas which they cherished. 

وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَاكُمْ مِنْ آَلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ وَفِي ذَلِكُمْ بَلَاءٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ ﴿2:49﴾ 

(2:49) Recall *64 the time when We delivered you from the slavery of Pharaoh's people. *65 They had inflicted a dreadful torment on you: they killed your sons and let your daughters live. And in this there was a hard trial for you from your your Lord *66 .

*64. From here on, through the several sections that follow, reference is made to the best
*65. We have rendered 'Al Fir'awn' as 'Pharaoh's people'. This includes the members of the Pharaonic family as well as the aristocracy of Egypt.
*66. The test was whether they would emerge from the crucible of persecution as pure gold, or as mere dross. The test also lay, in whether or not, after their miraculous deliverance from so great a calamity, they would become grateful servants of God. 

وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَأَنْجَيْنَاكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَا آَلَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ ﴿2:50﴾ 

(2:50) Remember the time when We parted the sea to make way for you and let you pass safely through it and then drowned Pharaoh's people before your very eyes.

وَإِذْ وَاعَدْنَا مُوسَى أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ اتَّخَذْتُمُ الْعِجْلَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَنْتُمْ ظَالِمُونَ ﴿2:51﴾ 

(2:51) Call to mind that when We invited Moses for a fixed term of forty nights and days, *67 you took to calf worship in his absence. *68 Though you had committed a wicked transgression,

*67. When the Israelites reached the Sinai peninsula after their exodus from Egypt, God summoned Moses to the mountain for forty days and nights so that the nation which had now achieved independence could be taught law and morality. (See Exodus 24-3l.)
*68. The cult of cow-worship was widespread among Israel's neighbours. It was particularly common in Egypt and Canaan. After the time of Joseph, when the Israelites fell prey to degeneracy and became the slaves of the Copts, they were contaminated by many of the corrupt practices prevalent among their rulers. Cow-worship was one of them. (There is a detailed account of the episode of calf-worship in Exodus 32.) 

ثُمَّ عَفَوْنَا عَنْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿2:52﴾ 

(2:52) yet We pardoned you even after that so that you might become grateful.

وَإِذْ آَتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَالْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴿2:53﴾ 

(2:53) Remember that (at that very time, when you were committing this gross iniquity) We gave Moses the Book and the criterion of right and wrong *69 so that you might be guided aright.

*69. 'Criterion' here means that understanding of religion which differentiates truth from falsehood, making each stand out distinctly. 

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿2:54﴾ 

(2:54) Remember that when Moses (returned with the Divine Gift, he) said to his people, "O my people, you have .wronged yourselves grievously by taking the calf for worship. Therefore, turn to your Creator . in penitence and slay the guilty ones among you. *70 This is best for you in the sight of your Creator." At that time your Creator accepted your repentance because He is Relenting 'and Merciful.

*70. That is, they should put to death those of their own number who made the calf an object of worship and actually worshipped it. 

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ ﴿2:55﴾ 

(2:55) Remember when you said, "O Moses, we are not going to believe you until we see with our own eyes Allah (talking to you)". At that very time a thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on and you fell lifeless.

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿2:56﴾ 

(2:56) Then We raised you to life so that you might become grateful for this favour. *71

*71. The incident referred to here is the following. When Moses went to the mountain he had been ordered to bring with him seventy elders of Israel. Later, when God bestowed upon Moses the Book and the Criterion, he presented them to the people. Some mischief-makers, according to the Qur'an, began to complain that they could not believe in something just because Moses claimed that God had spoken to him. This invited the wrath of God and they were punished. The Old Testament, however, has the following account:
'And they saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank' (Exodus 24: 10-11),
Interestingly, it is stated later in the same book that when Moses requested God to show him His glory, God rejected the request and said: 'You cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live'. (See Exodus 33: 18-23) 

وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿2:57﴾ 

(2:57) (Remember that) We caused the cloud to overshadow you and provided you with *72 manna and salva *73 for your food, saying, "Eat of the clean and pure things We have bestowed upon you" (In spite of this, your forefathers violated Our commands:) however, they did not harm Us but harmed only themselves.

*72. That is, God provided them with shade from clouds in the Sinai peninsula where there was no shelter from the heat of the sun.
It should be remembered that the Israelites had left Egypt in their hundreds of thousands. In Sinai, there were not even any tents in which they could shelter, never mind proper houses. But for the fact that God by His grace kept the sky, overcast for a considerable period, these people would have been scorched to death by the heat of the sun.
*73. Manna and quails constituted the natural food that was continually made available to them throughout the forty years of their wandering in the Sinai desert. Manna was like coriander seed. When the dew fell in the night, manna fell with it from above. By God's grace the quails were made available so plentifully that the entire nation was able to live on them alone and so escaped starvation. (For details regarding manna and quails see Exodus 16; Numbers 11: 7-9 and 31-2; Joshua 5: 12) 

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًا وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿2:58﴾ 

(2:58) Then call to mind the time when We said, "Go into the town' *74 before you and eat to your hearts' content therein, wherefrom you will, but enter the gate bowing down with humility, repeating 'hittatun'; *75 We will forgive your sins and increase the reward of the righteous".

*74. It has not yet been possible to arrive at any conclusion about the identity of the locality mentioned here. The series of events in the context of which God's command to enter the city is mentioned belong to the period of the exodus of the Children of Israel in the Sinai peninsula. It is therefore probable that the place mentioned in this verse is some Sinaitic city. Another plausible suggestion is that it is Shattim, which was located opposite Jericho on the eastern bank of the river Jordan. According to the Bible the Iscaelites conquered this town during the last years of.the life of Moses. After the conquest the Israelites became so decadent that God smote them with a plague from which twenty-four thousand died (Numbers 25: 1-9).
*75. God's command was to enter the city not with the arrogance of tyrannical conquerors, but with the humility of men of God (in the manner in which the Prophet would later enter Makka at the time of its conquest).
As for 'hit ' tah', it could either mean that when they entered the town they should seek God's pardon for their sins or that instead of plundering and massacring people in the wake of their conquest, they should proclaim an amnesty. 

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ﴿2:59﴾ 

(2:59) But the transgressors perverted the words said to them entirely into a different thing. So We sent down upon the transgressors a severe torment from the sky : that was the punishment for the disobedience they were showing.

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