أَوْ يُوبِقْهُنَّ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ وَيَعْفُ عَن كَثِيرٍ 34
Translations
Or He could destroy them for what they earned; but He pardons much.
Transliteration
Aw yuubiqhunna bimaa kasaboo wa ya'fu 'an katheer
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's power to destroy ships and those aboard them either through storms or as punishment for their deeds, while simultaneously demonstrating His mercy by forgiving many sins. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as illustrating the balance between divine justice (punishing wrongdoing) and divine mercy (pardoning much), emphasizing that Allah does not punish people for every transgression they commit. The ayah is part of a broader passage (42:32-34) discussing Allah's signs in the creation of ships and His control over the seas.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ash-Shuraa, a Meccan surah that addresses fundamental Islamic concepts including divine oneness, revelation, and Allah's signs in creation. The passage containing this ayah (verses 32-34) specifically discusses ships as signs of Allah's power and wisdom, serving as metaphors for human vulnerability before divine will and the need for trust in Allah.
Related Hadiths
Related to the theme of divine mercy: The Prophet ﷺ said, 'My mercy precedes My wrath' (Sahih Muslim 2751). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Bukhari (7405) where the Prophet ﷺ stated that Allah has one hundred parts of mercy, and He sent down one part to be distributed among creation while keeping ninety-nine parts for the Day of Judgment.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize that while Allah holds us accountable for our actions and can punish transgressions, His mercy vastly exceeds His punishment, encouraging both accountability and optimism in seeking forgiveness. It reminds us that Allah's administration of the universe reflects perfect justice tempered with compassion, and we should strive to embody similar balance in our dealings with others.
Related Ayahs
وَأَصْبَحَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوْا۟ مَكَانَهُۥ بِٱلْأَمْسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيْكَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن مَّنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَا ۖ وَيْكَأَنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
And those who had wished for his position the previous day began to say, "Oh, how Allāh extends provision to whom He wills of His servants and restricts it! If not that Allāh had conferred favor on us, He would have caused it to swallow us. Oh, how the disbelievers do not succeed!"
فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ أُولَىٰهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَآ أُو۟لِى بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُوا۟ خِلَـٰلَ ٱلدِّيَارِ ۚ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولًا
So when the [time of] promise came for the first of them, We sent against you servants of Ours - those of great military might, and they probed [even] into the homes, and it was a promise fulfilled.
أَفَأَمِنُوا۟ مَكْرَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ
Then, did they feel secure from the plan of Allāh? But no one feels secure from the plan of Allāh except the losing people.
وَلَمَّا جَآءَتْ رُسُلُنَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ بِٱلْبُشْرَىٰ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مُهْلِكُوٓا۟ أَهْلِ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ۖ إِنَّ أَهْلَهَا كَانُوا۟ ظَـٰلِمِينَ
And when Our messengers [i.e., angels] came to Abraham with the good tidings, they said, "Indeed, we will destroy the people of that [i.e., Lot's] city. Indeed, its people have been wrongdoers."