{Do you not see that the ships sail in the sea by the favor of Allah}

This is another testimony to His brilliant power, the ultimate reach of His wisdom, and the all-encompassing nature of His bounties. The intent behind "by the favor of Allah" is His benevolence in preparing the causes for their movement, such as the wind and subjecting it to them; thus, the ba is for transitiveness, as in "I passed by Zaid" (marartu bi-Zaid), or it indicates causality, related to "sail."

It is also permitted that what is meant by "His favor" is that which He has bestowed by way of the food and goods the ships carry, and so on. In this case, the ba indicates accompaniment or association, related to a deleted predicate functioning as a state (hal) for the pronoun of "the ships"—that is: "they sail accompanied by His favor."

Musa ibn al-Zubayr read "al-fulk" with a damma on the lam (the 'l'), and the like is well-known in nouns of the pattern fu‘l. It was narrated from Isa ibn Umar that he said: "I have not heard a word of the pattern fu‘l (with a damma on the first letter and a sukūn on the second) except that one has also heard fu‘ul (with a damma on the second letter) for it."

In al-Kashshaf, it is stated: "Every fu‘l allows for fu‘ul, just as every fi‘l allows for fu‘l," making the damma of the second letter for the sake of assimilation (itba‘), and its sukūn for the sake of lightening the pronunciation.

Al-A‘raj, al-A‘mash, and Ibn Ya‘mar read: bi-ni‘māti Allah (with a kasra on the nun and sukūn on the ‘ayn), as a plural with an alif and ta (ni‘mat). This is the plural of ni‘ma (with a kasra on the nun and sukūn on the ‘ayn). It is permissible, as more than one has stated, for any such plural to have a sukūn on the ‘ayn based on the root form, a kasra following the nun (for assimilation), or a fatha for the sake of lightening.

Ibn Abi ‘Abla read: bi-na‘māti Allah (with a fatha on the nun and kasra on the ‘ayn), as a plural of na‘ma (with a fatha on the nun), which is a noun signifying "enjoyment." It is also said to mean the same as ni‘ma (with a kasra).

{That He may show you of His signs}—that is, some of the proofs of His divinity, His oneness, His power, and His knowledge.

And His saying: {Indeed, in that are signs for every patient, grateful one} is an explanation for what preceded it. That is: indeed, in what has been mentioned are signs that are great in their essence and numerous in their quantity, for everyone who is excessive in patience regarding His trials and excessive in gratitude regarding His bounties.

"Patient, grateful" (sabbār shakūr) is a metonym for the believer, in the same vein as "a living being, upright in stature, broad-nailed" being a metonym for a human being. These two qualities are the pillars of faith, for faith—and everything it depends upon—is either abstaining from the accustomed (which is patience) or performing what brings one closer to Him (which is gratitude, due to its encompassing the actions of the heart, the limbs, and the tongue). For this reason, it has been reported: "Faith is two halves: one half is patience, and one half is gratitude."

The mention of these two descriptions after the mention of the ships is most appropriate, for the one who rides them is never without the need for patience and gratitude. It is said that "patient" here means one who is abundant in patience regarding the toil of seeking proofs in the self and the horizons; otherwise, the signs would not be exclusive to those who have exerted effort. Both descriptors are constructed as intensive forms (mubalagha). The form fa‘‘āl, according to what is in al-Bahr, is more intensive than fa‘ūl due to the increase in its letters. It is said that the more intensive form was chosen for patience as a hint that even a little of it is much, due to its extreme bitterness and the heaviness of its burden upon the soul.