Question:-
What happened to the table-cloth that the disciples of Isa Alaihis Salaam asked for? Was it later sent down? Was there a punishment for the ones who denied?
Answer:-
The disciples of Isa, the son of Maryam Alaihas Salaam, asked him whether his Rabb was able to send down a table-cloth laden with food from the heavens. They further stated that they intended to eat the food, to put their hearts at ease that Isa Alaihis Salaam was truthful to them, and they wanted to be a witness to this wonderful event. Isa Alaihis Salaam supplicated to Allah to send down a table spread with food from the heavens.
There is difference of opinion amongst the commentators whether the food spread came down from the heavens or not. Majority of the scholars are of the opinion that it did come down. It is recorded in a narration of Tirmidhi Sharif on the authority of Hadrat Ammaar Bin Yaseer Radiallahu Anhu that the ‘Maa’idah’ did come down and it comprised of bread and meat. The disciples of Isa Alaihis Salaam were prohibited from storing any provisions for the next day but these people stored provisions for the next day. As a result, they were transformed into monkeys and swine. [Ma’ariful Quraan of Mufti Muhammad Shafi Saheb Rahimahullah Pg.288]
According to Tabri, it is recorded that the angels came down with a table-cloth from the heavens which comprised of seven fish and seven pieces of bread and placed it before them. The last of the people consumed from it just as the first of them consumed from it (without any shortage whatsoever).
Ibn Jarir recorded a narration of Is’haq bin Abdullah which states that, the table was sent down to Isa Alaihis Salaam having seven pieces of bread and seven fish. They ate from it as much as they wanted, but when some of them took food from it saying that, it might not come down tomorrow, then the table was taken away.
These narrations clearly indicate that the table did descend upon the followers of Isa Alaihis Salaam and when they transgressed by storing the provisions, they were transformed into swine and monkeys.
