And verily you know that there were those among you who transgressed the Sabbath and We said to them “Be apes despised!” The metamorphosis maskh of this community occurred in their hearts. When [the children of Israel] abandoned [God's] command and disdained the laws that were imposed on them the punishments came quickly in their disgrace metamorphosis and in the other things which are included in the [QurÌānic text]. Because of their violation of the covenant and rejection of the limit [imposed by God] the community was punished through the metamorphosis of their hearts and the alteration of their states. [God] most high said “And We shall confound their hearts and their eyes; just as they did not believe the first time” [6:110]. The punishments of hearts are far worse than the punishments of the bodily selves. About this they have recited: O you who ask me “How have you been after himḍ” I suffered that which tormented me while it made him happy. I kept strutting about in our togetherness and felt safe from the ruses of time. But the turning away from me went on until not a bit of what I had experienced remained.
