وَإِذَا غَشِيَهُم مَّوْجٌ كَٱلظُّلَلِ دَعَوُا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّ فَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ ۚ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ إِلَّا كُلُّ خَتَّارٍ كَفُورٍ 32
Translations
And when waves come over them like canopies, they supplicate Allāh, sincere to Him in religion [i.e., faith]. But when He delivers them to the land, there are [some] of them who are moderate [in faith]. And none rejects Our signs except everyone treacherous and ungrateful.
Transliteration
Wa-idha ghashiyahum mawjun ka-al-thulal da'aw Allaha mukhlisin lahu al-din fa-lamma najjahum ila al-barri fa-minhum muqtasid wa-ma yajhad bi-ayatina illa kull khattaar kafur
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how people at sea, when overwhelmed by massive waves like dark clouds, sincerely call upon Allah alone in devotion, abandoning all false gods. However, once Allah saves them and brings them to shore, some remain grateful and moderate in faith, while others revert to ingratitude and denial. Ibn Kathir notes that this demonstrates the human tendency toward hypocrisy and the weakness of those who forget Allah's favors, emphasizing that only the treacherous and ungrateful deny Allah's clear signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Luqman, a Meccan chapter focused on moral teachings and divine signs. It is part of a broader passage (31:29-32) illustrating how Allah's signs manifest in nature and human experiences, particularly in maritime peril, to call people to recognition of His divine power and oneness. The context emphasizes that witnessing Allah's intervention should strengthen faith, yet many fail to do so.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The example of those who break their covenant with Allah after pledging it is like one who strips off his garment' (related to themes of covenant-breaking). Also relevant: 'Whoever is grateful, he is grateful for himself, and whoever is ungrateful, then indeed Allah is Free of need' (Quran 31:12, thematic parallel in the same surah).
Themes
Key Lesson
When we face hardship and genuinely turn to Allah, we experience His mercy; however, gratitude and steadfastness in faith after deliverance define true belief. This ayah reminds us that sincere devotion during crisis must translate into consistent obedience and gratitude afterward, lest we become among those who betrayed their covenant with Allah.