The Ocean of the Quran

A verse by verse explanation of The Ultimate Scripture

Luqmān – Verse 31

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الفُلكَ تَجري فِي البَحرِ بِنِعمَتِ اللَّهِ لِيُرِيَكُم مِن آياتِهِ ۚ إِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ لَآياتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبّارٍ شَكورٍ

Have you not regarded that the ships sail at sea by Allah’s blessings, that He may show you some of His signs? There are indeed signs in that for every patient and grateful [servant].

EXEGESIS

The particle bi in bi-niʿmatihi denotes causality (al-sababiyyah),‎[1] meaning the ships sail at sea because of or as a consequence of God’s blessings and power.‎[2]

The Arabic word used for patient in this verse is ṣabbār. It is an intensive active participle‎[3] denoting an intensive meaning,‎[4] and therefore refers to a person who is exceedingly or abundantly or constantly patient in the face of afflictions and troubles, the bitterness of misfortunes, and the harassment of the unbelievers.‎[5]

The Arabic word used here for grateful is shakūr. It is an intensive active participle‎[6] denoting an intensive meaning.‎[7] Here, it refers to a person who is exceedingly grateful to God for His blessings, and gives abundant and frequent thanks to Him,‎[8] endeavouring to be grateful to God in all situations.‎[9]

EXPOSITION

This verse is on the pattern of verses 20 and 29. The purpose of all three verses is to firstly demonstrate or draw attention to God’s power‎[10] and unity,‎[11] and secondly to clarify the blessings He has bestowed on mankind,‎[12] thereby demonstrating that He alone deserves sincere worship.‎[13] The verse addresses the Prophet but those intended are the generality of the people.‎[14] This verse focuses on demonstrating God’s blessings on earth, especially in the oceans, while verses 20 and 29 mostly (but not exclusively) focus on God’s blessings in the heavens.

Have you not regarded that the ships sail at sea by Allah’s blessings: as mentioned earlier, the particle bi in bi-niʿmatihi denotes causality, meaning that the ships sail at sea because of or as a consequence of God’s blessings and power.‎[15] As to what these blessings refer to, this is explained in 22:65: Have you not regarded that Allah has disposed for you[r benefit] whatever there is in the earth, and [that] the ships sail at sea by His command, and in 10:22: It is He who carries you across land and sea. When you are in the ships, and they [the ships] sail with them [the passengers] with a favourable wind. Thus it becomes clear that the phrase Allah’s blessings and the phrase His command in 22:65 are a reference to God’s laws established in water, in ships, and in the wind (10:22). All three are God’s blessings due to His power and beneficence in bringing about these means which allow ships to sail smoothly.‎[16] This is because water’s unusual nature and characteristic has a role to play in carrying ships on its surface without letting them sink and settling into its depths, just as the material with which ships are built has a special role in maintaining ships afloat on the surface of water.‎[17] God it is Who made the sea subservient unto you, that the ships may sail upon it by His command, that you may seek His bounty, and that haply you may give thanks (45:12).

When these two matters are realised, there then comes the turn of the favourable wind to play its role. It is due to the wind that sailing ships move from one place to the next by God’s command and power‎[18] (10:22, 30:46, 42:33, 17:69), and if the entirety of mankind were to gather together to cause a sailing ship to sail in a direction contrary to that of the wind, they would fail,‎[19] or at the very least they would struggle most vehemently. Had it not been for these laws the ships would stand stationary on the surface of earth’s water, or would sink into their depths!‎[20] And so, Allah’s blessings in this verse refers to ease of transportation by means of ships, the wind, and water.‎[21] Therefore, seafaring is a blessing bestowed by God and it is one of His signs (2:164, 14:32, 17:66, 22:65, 30:46, 43:12, 45:12).

Yet another blessing may be mentioned here, which is God’s bestowal of an innovative and creative intellect to the human being. By it, he strives to make boats and ships, and sails them on the oceans and seas; all of which are from God’s blessings which become the cause for ships to move.‎[22]

In addition to this meaning, some have also argued that the particle bi in bi-niʿmatihi denotes accompaniment (al-maʿiyyah or al-muṣāḥabah)‎[23] meaning thereby that the ships sail at sea with or accompanied by God’s blessings, which are the different wares and goods that ships carry for the benefit, comfort, and enjoyment of human beings, as well as for their financial gain.‎[24]

Thereafter God explains why He has drawn attention to these phenomena: that He may show you some of His signs. God wanted to show mankind these signs so that whoever reflects on the movement of the ships and how they sail on the various water bodies of the earth realises that such a sail is subject to a unified governance that governs water bodies, ships, and human beings, all at the same time. Had it not been for these different systems and laws working in perfect harmony, the human being would have failed to move from one distant place to the next via ships or be able to move heavy goods from one place to another. The ultimate aim of such realisation is belief in and appreciation of God. However, these signs are not appreciated save by one in whom two qualities come together.

There are indeed signs in that for every patient and grateful [servant].‎[25] Since patience and gratitude are signs of a believer, it is as if this verse wishes to say: There are indeed signs in that for every believing [servant].‎[26]

The mention of these two qualities also indicates that patience in the face of difficulties, and gratitude for favours granted, are two of the best manifestations of God’s obedience.‎[27] Indeed, it is a duty to give thanks to one who has brought you benefit.‎[28] These two characteristics stand in stark contrast to two characteristics mentioned in the next verse.‎[29]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Fayḍ Kāshānī has an interesting and useful explanation as to why these two specific attributes of a believer are mentioned in this verse in the context of sailing ships. He comments that a person aboard a marine vessel always finds himself between fear and hope: fear of drowning and hope of safely reaching the shore. Thus he is always vacillating between possible disaster and possible blessing. The former demands patience from him and the latter gratitude, and he is constantly between these two states as he sails, and therefore is constantly patient and grateful as his journey progresses.‎[30] 

[1] Mizan, 16/237.
[2] Mizan, 16/240; Qummi, 2/166-167; Munyah, 21/151.
[3] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 510.
[4] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 510; Munyah, 21/151.
[5] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 510; Tibyan, 8/287; Mizan, 16/237; Munyah, 21/151.
[6] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 493.
[7] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 493; Munyah, 21/151.
[8] Mizan, 16/237; Tibyan, 8/287; Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 493; Munyah, 21/151.
[9] Qummi, 2/167.
[10] Munyah, 21/151.
[11] Tibyan, 8/287; Tabrisi, 8/506.
[12] Munyah, 21/151.
[13] Tibyan, 8/287; Tabrisi, 8/506.
[14] Tibyan, 8/287; Tabrisi, 8/506.
[15] Mizan, 16/240; Qummi, 2/166-167; Munyah, 21/151.
[16] Safi, 4/151; Mizan, 16/237; Munyah, 21/151.
[17] Munyah, 21/151.
[18] Tibyan, 8/287; Munyah, 21/151.
[19] Tibyan, 8/287; Tabrisi, 8/506.
[20] Munyah, 21/151. 
[21] Kashif, 4/169.
[22] Munyah, 21/151.
[23] Mizan, 16/237.
[24] Mizan, 16/237.
[25] Munyah, 21/151.
[26] Tibyan, 8/288; Tabrisi, 8/506; Mizan, 16/240; Munyah, 21/151.
[27] Tibyan, 8/287; Tabrisi, 8/506.
[28] Mizan, 16/237.
[29] Munyah, 21/151.
[30] Safi, 4/151.