671 - Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Munadi reported to me in what he wrote to me, Yunus ibn Muhammad al-Mu'addib narrated to us, Shayban al-Nahwi narrated to us from Qatadah: "So We said to them: Be apes, disgraced." The people became apes that howled, having tails, after having been men and women.

The second perspective:

672 - My father narrated to us, Abu Hudhayfah narrated to us, Shibl narrated to us from Ibn Abi Najih from Mujahid: "So We said to them: Be apes, disgraced." He said: Their hearts were transformed, and they were not transformed into physical apes and swine; it is only a metaphor that Allah struck for them, like the donkey carrying volumes (of books).

The third perspective:

673 - Muhammad ibn Sa'd ibn 'Atiyyah reported to me in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to me, my uncle al-Husayn narrated to me from his father, from his grandfather, from Ibn 'Abbas: "So We said to them: Be apes, disgraced." Allah made some of them apes and swine, and they claimed that the youth among the people became apes, and the elders became swine.

His saying: "Disgraced"

674 - 'Isam ibn Rawwad narrated to us, Adam narrated to us, Abu Ja'far narrated to us from al-Rabi' from Abu al-'Aliyah regarding His saying: "Apes, disgraced," he said: It means humiliated, abased. A similar statement was narrated from Mujahid, Qatadah, al-Rabi' ibn Anas, and Abu Malik.

His saying: "So We made it a deterrent"

675 - By the same chain from Abu al-'Aliyah regarding His saying: "So We made it a deterrent," meaning: a punishment.

His saying: "For what was before it"

[The first perspective]

676 - My father narrated to us, Sahl ibn 'Uthman al-Kindi al-Muharibi narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Ishaq from Dawud ibn al-Husayn from 'Ikrimah from Ibn 'Abbas: Allah the Exalted said: "So We made it a deterrent for what was before it," (referring to) the villages.