Surah Al-A'raf
وَسْـَٔلْهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلَّتِى كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ ٱلْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِى ٱلسَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ
Was'alhum ‘anil-qaryatil-latī kānat ḥāḍiratal-baḥr(i), iż ya‘dūna fis-sabti iż ta'tīhim ḥītānuhum yauma sabtihim syurra‘aw wa yauma lā yasbitūn(a), lā ta'tīhim - każālika - nablūhum bimā kānū yafsuqūn(a).
And ask them about the town that was by the sea - when they transgressed in [the matter of] the sabbath - when their fish came to them openly on their sabbath day, and the day they had no sabbath they did not come to them. Thus did We give them trial because they were defiantly disobedient.
📝 Footnotes
292) The town near the sea mentioned here is the city of Eilah (Eilat), located on the coast of the Red Sea, between the city of Madyan and Mount Sinai. 293) According to the regulations, they were not allowed to work on the Sabbath because that day was dedicated solely to worship. This rule was prescribed by Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, for the Jewish people in accordance with their own request. They were forbidden from fishing on that day, but some of them violated the law using a cunning trick. They did not fish directly, but dug ponds so that the water would flow into them along with the fish, which they would then catch the following day.