فَإِذَا رَكِبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ دَعَوُا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِكُونَ 65
Translations
And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allāh, sincere to Him in religion [i.e., faith and hope]. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him
Transliteration
Fa-idha rakiboo fil-fulki da'awoo Allaha mukhlisteena lahu ad-deen fa-lamma najjaahum ila al-barr idha hum yushrikoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the hypocrisy of those who, when facing danger at sea, sincerely call upon Allah alone in desperation, but once saved and reaching safety on land, they return to associating partners with Him in worship. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize this as a profound example of human ingratitude and the weakness of faith that is contingent upon circumstances rather than conviction. Al-Qurtubi notes that this behavior reveals the true state of the human heart—that tawheed (monotheism) was born of fear rather than genuine belief.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-'Ankabut, a Meccan chapter that addresses the weakness of human nature and the fickleness of those who claim to believe. The broader context of the surah discusses various forms of disbelief and hypocrisy among the Arabs. This specific ayah illustrates the common behavior of Arabian merchants and traders who relied on sea voyages for commerce, revealing their conditional monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The Quran itself references this behavior in Surah Yunus 10:22-23, where Allah describes similar scenes. Additionally, Hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Book of Dua) highlights the authenticity of du'a (supplication) during times of hardship, contrasting the sincerity then with forgetfulness afterward.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that sincere worship should stem from genuine conviction and gratitude, not merely from fear or desperation in times of crisis. Believers must maintain consistent faith in both hardship and ease, recognizing that true tawheed is a permanent commitment of the heart rather than a temporary emotional response to danger.
Related Ayahs
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّن نَّزَّلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
And if you asked them, "Who sends down rain from the sky and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness?" they would surely say, "Allāh." Say, "Praise to Allāh"; but most of them do not reason.
وَقَالَ إِنَّمَا ٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْثَـٰنًا مَّوَدَّةَ بَيْنِكُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ ثُمَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُم بِبَعْضٍ وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُم بَعْضًا وَمَأْوَىٰكُمُ ٱلنَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِينَ
And [Abraham] said, "You have only taken, other than Allāh, idols as [a bond of] affection among you in worldly life. Then on the Day of Resurrection you will deny one another and curse one another, and your refuge will be the Fire, and you will not have any helpers."
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
Indeed, Allāh knows whatever thing they call upon other than Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ
Recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allāh is greater. And Allāh knows that which you do.