This Ayah explains Allah's statement,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظگظ…ظ’طھظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط§ط¹ظ’طھظژط¯ظژظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژط¨ظ’طھظگ﴾

(And indeed you knew those among you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath..) ﴿2:65﴾ Allah says to His Prophet here,

﴿ظˆظژط³ظ’ط¦ظژظ„ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(And ask them) ask the Jews who are with you, about the story of their fellow Jews who defied Allah's command, so that His punishment overtook them all of a sudden for their evil actions, transgression and defiance by way of deceit. Also, warn the Jews (O Muhammad) against hiding your description that they find in their books, so that they do not suffer what their forefathers suffered. The village mentioned here is Aylah, on the shore of the Qulzum (Red) Sea. Muhammad bin Ishaq recorded from Dawud bin Al-Husayn from `Ikrimah that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

﴿ظˆظژط³ظ’ط¦ظژظ„ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژط±ظ’ظٹظژط©ظگ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژطھظگظ‰ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھظ’ ط­ظژط§ط¶ظگط±ظژط©ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظژط­ظ’ط±ظگ﴾

(And ask them about the town that was by the sea...) "A village called Aylah between Madyan and At-Tur (which is in Sinai). `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Qatadah and As-Suddi said similarly. Allah's statement,

﴿ط¥ظگط°ظ’ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژط¨ظ’طھظگ﴾

(when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath;) means, they transgressed in the Sabbath and defied Allah's command to them to keep it sanctified,

﴿ط¥ظگط°ظ’ طھظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط­ظگظٹطھظژط§ظ†ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظژ ط³ظژط¨ظ’طھظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط´ظڈط±ظ‘ظژط¹ظ‹ط§﴾

(when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day,) visible on top of the water, according to Ad-Dahhak who reported it from Ibn `Abbas. Ibn Jarir said, "Allah's statement,

﴿ظˆظژظٹظژظˆظ’ظ…ظژ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط³ظ’ط¨ظگطھظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ„ط§ظژ طھظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظƒظژط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ†ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈظ…﴾

(and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them,) means, this is how We tested them by making the fish swim close to the surface of the water , on the day which they were prohibited to fish. The fish would be hidden from them on the day when they were allowed to fish,

﴿ظƒظژط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ†ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈظ…﴾

(Thus We made a trial for them,) so that We test them,

﴿ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظژظپظ’ط³ظڈظ‚ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(for they used to rebel against Allah's command) by defying His obedience and rebelling against it.'' Therefore, these were a people who used a trick to violate Allah's prohibitions, taking an action that seemed legal on the surface. However, in reality, this action was meant to transgress the prohibition. Imam and scholar Abu `Abdullah Ibn Battah reported that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

آ«ظ„ظژط§ طھظژط±ظ’طھظژظƒظگط¨ظˆظڈط§ ظ…ظژط§ ط§ط±ظ’طھظژظƒظژط¨ظژطھظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظٹظژظ‡ظڈظˆط¯ظڈ ظپظژطھظژط³ظ’طھظژط­ظگظ„ظ‘ظڈظˆط§ ظ…ظژط­ظژط§ط±ظگظ…ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظگ ط¨ظگط£ظژط¯ظ’ظ†ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظگظٹظژظ„آ»

(Do not repeat what the Jews committed, and violate Allah's prohibitions using deceitful tricks.) This Hadith has a reasonable chain.

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظ’ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژطھظ’ ط£ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژط©ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ظگظ…ظژ طھظژط¹ظگط¸ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظ‹ط§ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظڈظ‡ظ’ظ„ظگظƒظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظ…ظڈط¹ظژط°ظ‘ظگط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ط§ظ‹ ط´ظژط¯ظگظٹط¯ظ‹ط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظژط¹ظ’ط°ظگط±ظژط©ظ‹ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ„ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژطھظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظ†ظژط³ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظژط§ ط°ظڈظƒظ‘ظگط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ط£ظژظ†ط¬ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظٹظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظژظˆظ’ظ†ظژ ط¹ظژظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظڈظˆط،ظگ ظˆظژط£ظژط®ظژط°ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¸ظژظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¨ظگط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظچ ط¨ظژط¦ظگظٹط³ظچ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظژظپظ’ط³ظڈظ‚ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ط¹ظژطھظژظˆظ’ط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ† ظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظ†ظڈظ‡ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظƒظڈظˆظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ‚ظگط±ظژط¯ظژط©ظ‹ ط®ظژظ€ط³ظگط¦ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(164. And when a community among them said: "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment'' (The preachers) said: "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah.'') (165. So when they forgot the reminder that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but with a severe torment We seized those who did wrong, because they used to rebel against Allah's command.) (166. So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited, We said to them: "Be you monkeys, despised.'')