The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 620
CH. 31 R. 4. LUQMAN PT. 21 اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ الْفُلْكَ تَجْرِى فِي الْبَحْرِ Dost thou not see that the. 32 b ships sail on the sea by "the بِنِعْمَتِ اللهِ لِيُرِيَكُم مِّنْ أَيْتِهِ إِنَّ favour of Allah, that He may فِي ذلِكَ لَا يَتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ show you of His Signs? Therein surely are Signs for everyone who is patient and grateful. 3055 them like so many coverings, sincere to Him in faith; but وَإِذَا غَشِيَهُمْ مَّوْ كَاللَلِ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ And when waves engulf. 33 مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجُهُمْ إِلَى they call upon Allah, being الْبَرِّ فَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِايَتِنَا when He brings them safe to إِلَّا كُلُّ خَتَارٍ كَفُورٍ land, then only some of them keep to the right course. And none denies Our Signs save every perfidious, and ungrateful person. 3 3056 "17:67; 30:47; 45:13. 10:23; 29:66. 10:24; 17:68. 3055. Commentary: The sailing of ships, as is mentioned in the present verse, is indeed a great Divine boon. Much of the prosperity of mankind depends on it. The greatest sea power is generally the richest and the most powerful nation in the world. 3056. Important Words: (the perfidious) is derived from. They say i. e. he acted or behaved towards him with perfidy, treachery or unfaithfulness, or with the foulest perfidy or treachery or unfaithfulness or with deceit, guile, or ختر بالعهد. in a bad or corrupt manner means he was unfaithful to the covenant. means, one who acts treacherously or with perfidy or with the foulest perfidy or with deceit or guile and does so frequently (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse refers to a very common characteristic of a mushrik (polytheist). He is weak of faith and is very superstitious. Even a small misfortune is sufficient to frighten and upset him because his faith is only a jumble of make-beliefs, hearsays and superstitions. In difficulty he prays to God but when out of it he is his old self. Such, however, is not the case of a true believer. He is grateful to God when he receives a Divine favour, and is firm and steadfast in faith when a misfortune overtakes him. He never loses his balance of mind-neither in prosperity nor in adversity. 2534