Speaking of Apes

Jews in the Quran -

Quran 2:65:

And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised."

Quran 5:59-60

Say, "O People of the Scripture, do you resent us except [for the fact] that we have believed in Allah and what was revealed to us and what was revealed before and because most of you are defiantly disobedient?" Say, "Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from Allah ? [It is that of] those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs and slaves of Taghut. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way."

Quran 7:163-166:

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.

And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."

And when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment, because they were defiantly disobeying.
So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, "Be apes, despised."


Explained:

Allah says in numerous places in the Quran that those who reject his gift of grace will be despised as a lower form of or lowest of creation. I will add more specific references below as I find them and sort them out.

Al Quran (95:4-5)

We created man in the best design. Then reduced him to the lowest of the low.

My humble opinion is that a human turning into an ape is a metaphor rather than actual physical transformation. It would symbolize an animal who cannot make distinctions between right and wrong, can't reason beyond his immediate desires and needs, doesn't recognize rights of others, no moral or ethical considerations in his actions, no sense of gratitude or thankfulness for the providence of his creator, and no concept of worshiping his creator.

Actually, the animal is better than the kufar, because, an animal will only take what it needs from the dunya to satisfy his own hunger and that of its own immediate offspring.
^