Tafsir of Luqman 31:32

"And when a wave covers them..."

That is, it rises over them and covers them, derived from ghisha’ (the covering), meaning a covering from above, which is appropriate in this context. It has also been said that it means "it came to them," from ghashayan (the act of arriving). If the pronoun in ghashahum (covers them) is identical to the pronoun of the addressees previously mentioned, then the speech contains a shift (iltifat) from the second person to the third person; otherwise, there is no such shift.

Al-Mawj (the wave) is that which rises from the crests of water; it is a collective noun, the singular of which is mawjah. Its use in the indefinite form is to denote grandeur and abundance; hence, it is singularized despite the plural nature of that which it is likened to in His saying, the Almighty: "like canopies (al-zulal)". Al-Zulal is the plural of zullah, like ghurfah and ghuraf, or qurbah and qurab. The intended meaning is that which overshadows, such as clouds, mountains, or other things.

Al-Raghib said: Al-Zullah is a cloud that provides shade, and it is most commonly used for things perceived as ominous or disliked. Qatadah interpreted al-zulal here as clouds, while others interpreted it as mountains. Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (may Allah the Exalted be pleased with him) read it as al-zilal, which is also a plural of zullah, like albah and alab, or jufrah and jufar.

"When" is an adverbial time-marker for His saying, the Almighty: "they call upon Allah..."—that is, they call upon Him "being sincere to Him in religion" when a wave like canopies covers them. They only do this at that moment because the whims and imitations that conflict with the Fitrah (innate nature) vanish due to the intense fear that has befallen them.

"But when He delivers them to the land, then among them is a muqtasid..."

That is, one who follows al-qasd, meaning the straight path, not deviating from it toward another. Originally, it refers to the straightness of a road, then it was metaphorically applied to this. The "straight path" here figuratively refers to Tawhid (monotheism), as if it were said: "Among them is one who remains steadfast upon Tawhid." The statement of Al-Hasan—meaning a believer who acknowledges the right of Allah, the Exalted, regarding this blessing—returns to this interpretation. It is also said that muqtasid comes from iqtisad, meaning moderation and balance.

In that case, the meaning is one who is moderate in his words and deeds, balanced between fear and hope, and who fulfills what he covenanted with Allah, the Exalted, while at sea. This interpretation—that he is one who fulfills his covenant—is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Included in this group under this meaning is Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl; for it is narrated by Al-Suddi from Mus'ab ibn Sa'd from his father who said: "When Mecca was conquered, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) ordered the people to refrain from killing its inhabitants, except for four men. He said: 'Kill them even if you find them clinging to the curtains of the Ka'bah: Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, Abdullah ibn Khatal, Qays ibn Dhababah, and Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh.' As for Ikrimah, he boarded a ship, and a violent storm struck them. The people on the ship said, 'Be sincere, for your gods will not avail you anything here.' Ikrimah said, 'If nothing but sincerity saves me at sea, then nothing but it will save me on land. O Allah, I have a covenant with You that if You heal me from what I am in, I will go to Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) until I place my hand in his hand, and I will surely find him pardoning and generous.' So he came and accepted Islam."

It has also been said that he is "moderate in disbelief," being restrained by what he witnessed, to some extent. Or, he is "moderate in the sincerity" he possessed at sea, for the sincerity that arises during fear rarely remains with anyone once the fear has vanished.

In any case, the apparent meaning is that the counterpart to the muqtasid section is omitted, as indicated by His saying, the Almighty: "And none rejects Our signs except every khattar..." This verse serves as evidence for Ibn Malik and those who agreed with him regarding the permissibility of the fa (the 'so' or 'then') appearing in the answer to lamma (when). As for those who do not permit it, they say: "The answer is omitted," meaning: "When He delivers them to the land, they divide into two groups: among them is a muqtasid and among them is a jahid (rejecter)."

Al-Khattar is derived from al-khatr, which is the most severe form of treachery. From this is the saying: "You do not extend a span of treachery to us, but we extend a cubit of treachery to you." Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) interpreted it in a similar manner to Ibn al-Azraq, citing the poet's verse: She knew and was certain in her own self That she would not fear, for all time, my breaking ties or my treachery. Similar to this is the statement of 'Amr ibn Ma'di Karib: "And had you seen Abu 'Umayr, you would have filled your hands with treachery and deceit."

In Mufradat al-Raghib, al-khatr is treachery in which a person yabkhatur (walks with an arrogant gait), meaning he falters and breaks due to his exertion in it. That is: "And none rejects Our signs and disbelieves in them except every ghaddar (treacherous one)," the most severe form of treachery, because his disbelief is a violation of the innate covenant. It is said it is because he violated the sincerity he had covenanted to Allah, the Exalted, while at sea.

"Kafur"—the one who excessively denies the blessings of Allah, the Exalted. Khattar is the counterpart to Sabbar (the patient one), because the one who acts treacherously has not remained patient with his covenant, and Kafur is the counterpart to Shakur (the grateful one).