And the words of the Almighty: {Say, "Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as retaliation from Allah? [It is that of] those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them monkeys and pigs and slaves of Taghut. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way"} 1 . He says: They disbelieved and denied the Oneness of Allah (Tawhid), so He metamorphosed them into monkeys and pigs, then He returned them to the human state (Bashariyyah), yet they [again] disbelieved in Allah and worshipped their tyrants (Tawaghit).
Thus, they are in the worst position of metamorphosis (Masukhiyyah), and the torment therein was a recompense for their straying from the sound way; so the punishment became justly due upon them.
[39] And on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Basri, from al-Adawi, from Abdullah ibn al-Ala, from Abu al-Haytham, from Hashim, from al-Mufaddal—peace be upon him—from the Master al-Sadiq—may His Might be exalted: "The believers are those who have found rest in Allah and found intimacy with Him, while the rest of creation are ignorant rabble (Hamaj Ri'a'); they are [in a state of] metamorphosis (Maskh)." I said: "My Master, are there 'ignorant rabble' among the people?" He said: "Yes, in the image of people (Surat al-Nas).