Yunus: (22-23) It is He Who makes you travel...

Issues in the Verse:

When Allah Almighty said, {And when We let people taste mercy after distress has touched them, behold, they devise a plot against Our signs} (Yunus: 12), this statement was general and its meaning is not fully revealed except by presenting a complete example. Therefore, Allah mentioned an example of man's transition from severe distress to mercy, and an example of man's plotting, so that this verse serves as an explanation for the preceding verse. This is because a general meaning is only grasped by the listeners through a clear and evident example that reveals the essence of that general meaning.

When a person boards a ship and finds a favorable wind that matches his goal, he experiences complete joy and intense pleasure. Then, signs of destruction may suddenly appear:

1. Fierce, violent winds approach them.
2. Great waves come upon them from every side.
3. Their assumptions lead them to believe that destruction is certain and salvation is not expected.

The transition from these pleasant, favorable conditions to these overwhelming, severe conditions certainly causes great fear and intense terror. Furthermore, witnessing these sights and horrors at sea specifically intensifies the dread and fear. In this state, the person hopes only for the grace and mercy of Allah, cutting off hope from all creation, and turns to Allah with his heart, spirit, and all his being in supplication.

Then, if Allah saves him from this great tribulation and moves him from this intense harm to safety and deliverance, he immediately forgets that blessing and reverts to the false beliefs and blameworthy morals he was accustomed to. Thus, it is clear that the general meaning mentioned in the previous verse cannot be established with a better or more complete example than the one mentioned in this verse.

It is narrated that someone said to Ja'far al-Sadiq: "Mention to me a proof for the establishment of the Creator." He asked: "Tell me about your trade." The man replied: "I am a merchant at sea." Ja'far asked: "Describe your condition." The man said: "I sailed the sea, the ship broke, and I remained on a single plank from it. Fierce winds came." Ja'far then asked: "Did you find supplication and calling upon God in your heart?" The man replied: "Yes." Ja'far said: "Your God is the one you supplicated at that time."

Ibn 'Amir recited {yanshurukum} (He spreads you out) derived from nashr (spreading out), which is the opposite of folding, perhaps taking it from the verse: {then spread out in the land} (Al-Jumu'ah: 10). The rest recited {yusayyirukum} (He makes you travel) derived from tasyeer (causing to move).

Our companions used this verse as evidence that the actions of the servant must be created by Allah. They argue: This verse indicates that the travel of servants is from Allah. And the verse {Say: Travel throughout the earth} (Al-An'am: 11) indicates that their travel is from them. This implies that their travel is both from them and from Allah, making it an acquisition (kasb) for them and a creation by Allah. Similar examples include: {as your Lord brought you out of your house in truth} (Al-Anfal: 5), and in another verse: {when those who disbelieved expelled him} (At-Tawbah: 40). Also, {So let them laugh a little and weep much} (At-Tawbah: 82), and then: {And that it is He Who makes [one] laugh and [one] weep} (An-Najm: 43). And: {And you threw not, when you threw, but it was Allah Who threw} (Al-Anfal: 7).

Al-Juba'i said: As for Allah truly causing them to travel at sea, that is the case. But as for their travel on land, it is attributed to Allah metaphorically (tawassu'). What is an act of obedience is by His command and facilitation, and what is a sin is because Allah is the One who enabled them to do it.

The Qadi added: It is permissible to attribute it to Allah in the sense that He subjugated the means of transport for them on land, and He subjugated the earth upon which they act by sustaining it, because if Allah did not do that, travel would be impossible for them.

Al-Qaffal said: {It is He Who makes you travel on land and sea} means Allah is the Guide to traveling on land and sea seeking livelihood, and He is the one who causes the travel because He prepared the means for that travel. This summarizes what has been said in response.

We say: There is no doubt that the one causing travel at sea is Allah, because Allah is the Creator of those movements in the parts of the ship. And attributing the action to the doer is the literal truth (haqiqah). Therefore, it must also be that He causes their travel on land by this same interpretation. If "causing travel on land" meant providing the tools and means, it would be metaphorical (majaz), which would require the same word to be both literal and metaphorical simultaneously, which is false.

Know that Al-Juba'i's doctrine is based on the impossibility of a word being literal and metaphorical concerning the same meaning. Abu Hashim, however, says that this is impossible, but he suggests that it is not far-fetched to say that Allah uttered it twice.

We say: Al-Juba'i's view has been refuted in the principles of jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh). Abu Hashim's view that Allah uttered it twice is also remote, as this is a position not held by any of the predecessors, making it contrary to consensus (ijma') and thus false.

Question 1: The conditionality of being in the vessel.

How is being in the vessel made the condition for traveling at sea, when being in the vessel necessarily precedes traveling at sea?

Answer: Being in the vessel was not made the consequence of traveling at sea. Rather, the structure of the statement is as if it were said: "It is He Who makes you travel, such that when, among those travels, you find yourselves in the vessel, then such and such happens."

Question 2: The response to the conditional particle idha (when).

What is the response to idha in the phrase {until when you are in the vessels}?

Answer: The response is His saying: {a violent wind came to them}. The author of Al-Kashshaf said: As for {they called upon Allah}, it is a substitute for dhannu (they thought), because their calling upon Allah is a necessary consequence of their thinking they would perish. Some excellent scholars suggested that taking {they called upon Allah} as a new, independent clause would be clearer, as if after saying, "A violent wind came to them, and waves came to them from every place, and they thought they were surrounded," someone asked, "What did they do?" And the answer was: {They called upon Allah}.

Question 3: The shift in discourse from direct address (you) to the third person (they).

What is the wisdom in shifting the discourse from direct address to the third person?

Answer: There are several views:

1. Al-Kashshaf's view: The purpose is emphasis (mubalaghah). It is as if Allah mentions their state to others to express astonishment at it and to demand greater condemnation and disapproval from them.
2. Abu Ali Al-Juba'i's view: Allah's address to His servants is through the tongue of the Messenger (peace be upon him), making it like a report about an absent person. Whoever substitutes the absent person for the addressee, it is appropriate for him to return it to the absent person at times.
3. The view that occurred to the mind immediately: The shift from the third person to the second person indicates greater closeness and honor. Conversely, the shift from the second person to the third person indicates disdain and distancing.

• Regarding the first point (shift to presence): As in Surah Al-Fatiha, where {All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds * The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful} (Al-Fatiha: 2, 3) is all in the third person, then it shifts to {You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help} (Al-Fatiha: 5). This indicates that the servant has moved from the status of absence to the status of presence, which necessitates a high rank and perfect closeness to the service of the Lord of the worlds.
• Regarding the second point (shift to absence, as in this verse): Since {until when you are in the vessels} is direct address (presence), and {and they sailed with them} is the third person (absence), the shift here from presence to absence indicates disdain, distancing, and rejection, which is appropriate for the state of these people, as one whose characteristic is to meet Allah's favor with ingratitude deserves what we have mentioned.

Question 4: The conditions in the conditional clause and the consequence clause.

How many constraints are considered in the condition (shart) and how many in the consequence (jaza'?)

Answer: The constraints considered in the condition are three:

1. Being in the vessel.
2. The vessel sailing with a favorable wind.
3. Their joy because of it.

The constraints considered in the consequence are also three:

1. His saying: {a violent wind came to them}. (This raises two questions):
   • Question 1: The pronoun in {came to it} (ja'athāhā) refers to the vessel (singular), while the pronoun in {and they sailed with them} (wa-jarrayna bihim) refers to the vessels (plural). What is the reason for this?
     • Answer: There are two ways to answer this. First: We do not agree that the pronoun in {came to it} refers to the vessel; rather, we say it refers to the favorable wind mentioned in {and they sailed with them with a favorable wind}. Second: Even if we accept your premise, the word al-falk (vessel/ship) can be used for both singular and plural, so the dual pronoun is appropriate.
   • Question 2: What is the derivation of ‘āsif (violent)?
     • Answer: The reciters and Al-Zajjaj say: It is said rīḥun ‘āsif and ‘āsifah. It has the verbal noun ‘uṣūf and a‘ṣafat, so it is mu‘ṣif and mu‘ṣifah. Al-Farra’ said: The alif is a dialect of Banu Asad. The meaning of ‘aṣafat (the wind) is that it intensified. The root of ‘aṣf is speed; a swift she-camel is called nāqah ‘āsif or ‘aṣūf. The reason for saying {a violent wind} (rīḥun ‘āsif) is either that it implies dhāt ‘aṣūf (possessing violence), as one says ibn (son) or tāmir (owner of dates), or because the word rīḥ (wind) is masculine.

2. The second constraint is His saying: {and waves came to them from every place}. Al-Mawj (the wave) is the water that rises above the sea.

3. The third constraint is His saying: {and they thought they were surrounded}. This means they thought they were close to destruction. The origin is that when an enemy surrounds a people or a city, they are close to destruction.

Question 5: The meaning of sincerity in {They called upon Allah, sincerely devoted to Him the religion}.

Answer: Ibn Abbas said: It means they abandoned polytheism and did not associate anything with Him from their idols, and they affirmed Allah's Lordship and Oneness. Al-Hasan said: {They called upon Allah sincerely} means sincerity is faith (iman), but due to the knowledge that only Allah can save them from that, it functions as an obligatory faith (iman al-iḍṭirār). Ibn Zayd said: These polytheists call upon others besides Allah, but when harm and affliction come, they call upon none but Allah. Abu Ubaidah narrated that the meaning of this invocation is their saying: Ahya Sharaahiya, which means "O Ever-Living, O Sustainer."

Question 6: What is referred to by "this" in {If You should save us from this}?

Answer: It means: "If You save us from this violent wind." It is also said that it means: "If You save us from these waves or from these hardships." Although these words were not explicitly mentioned before, what indicates them was previously mentioned.

Question 7: Is omission (iḍmār) necessary in this verse?

Answer: Yes. The implied structure is: "They called upon Allah, sincerely devoted to Him the religion, intending to say: 'If You save us...'" Alternatively, it can be said that omission is not necessary because His saying {They called upon Allah} is explained by His saying {If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the grateful}. In reality, they said nothing but this statement.

When Allah recounts their complete supplication, He then explains that after being saved from that tribulation and trial, they immediately engaged in wrongful aggression on the earth. Ibn Abbas said this means corruption, denial, and boldness against Allah. The meaning of baghy (aggression/oppression) is seeking dominance through injustice. Al-Zajjaj said: Baghy is escalating into corruption. Al-Asma'i said: A wound bagha yabghi baghyan when it escalates to corruption, and a woman baghat when she commits adultery. Al-Wahidi said: The origin of this word is seeking.

If it is asked: What is the meaning of {without right} (bi-ghayr al-haqq), since aggression is inherently without right?

Answer: Aggression can sometimes be rightful (bi-l-haqq), such as the Muslims conquering the lands of the disbelievers, destroying their homes, burning their crops, and cutting down their trees, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did to Banu Qurayza.

Then, Allah clarifies that this aggression is a false matter that a wise person must guard against, saying: {O mankind, indeed the consequence of your aggression is only against yourselves. [It is but] the enjoyment of worldly life}. This contains several issues:

The majority recited {matā‘a} (enjoyment) with a nominative ayn. Hafs from 'Asim recited {matā‘a} with an accusative ayn.

• Regarding the nominative reading (Raf‘): There are two possibilities. First: That {your aggression against yourselves} (baghyukum ‘alā anfusikum) is the subject (mubtada’), and {the enjoyment of worldly life} (matā‘ al-ḥayāh ad-dunyā) is the predicate (khabar). The meaning of {your aggression against yourselves} is the aggression of some of you against others, as in {then kill yourselves} (Al-Baqarah: 54). The meaning of the statement is that the aggression of some of you against others is for the benefit of worldly life, which has no permanence. Second: That {your aggression} is the subject, and {against yourselves} is the predicate, and {the enjoyment of worldly life} is in the position of an emphatic verbal noun (maṣdar mu’akkid), meaning: "You enjoy the enjoyment of worldly life."

• Regarding the accusative reading (Naṣb): We say that {your aggression} is the subject, and {against yourselves} is the predicate, and {the enjoyment of worldly life} is in the position of the emphatic verbal noun, meaning: "You enjoy the enjoyment of worldly life."

Aggression is among the reprehensible sins. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The fastest good deed to receive reward is maintaining kinship, and the fastest evil deed to receive punishment is aggression and a false oath." It is narrated: "Two things Allah hastens their punishment in this world: aggression and disobedience to parents." Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If a mountain were to aggress against a mountain, the aggressor would crumble." Al-Ma'mun used to recite these two verses concerning his brother:

O companion of aggression, indeed aggression leads to downfall, So restrain yourself, for the best action of a man is his justice. If a mountain were to aggress against a mountain one day, Its heights and its depths would crumble from it.

Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi said: Three things, if present in a person, will be against him: aggression, breaking pledges, and plotting. Allah says: {Indeed, the consequence of your aggression is only against yourselves}.

The essence of the statement in {O mankind, indeed the consequence of your aggression is only against yourselves} is that the aggression of some of you against others will only be possible for a few days, which is the duration of your lives, given how short and quickly passing it is. {Then to Us is your return}—meaning the recompense we promised for your deeds in the world—{and We will inform you of what you used to do}. Al-Inbā’ (informing) here is a threat of punishment, like when a man says to another, "I will inform you of what you have done."

Verse 7: {The likeness of the life of this world is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mixes with it, of which people and cattle eat, until, when the earth has taken on its rich ornament and has been embellished, and its people think that they are able to control it, there comes to it Our command, by night or by day, and We make it as a mown field, as if it had not flourished the day before. Thus do We make clear the signs for people who reflect.}

Issue 1: The Analogy of Worldly Life

The likeness of the life of this world is like rain which We sent down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mixes with it, of which people and cattle eat. This describes the flourishing and apparent stability of worldly life.

Issue 2: The Sudden End

Until, when the earth has taken on its rich ornament and has been embellished, and its people think that they are able to control it (i.e., they assume permanence and mastery over it), there comes to it Our command, by night or by day, and We make it as a mown field, as if it had not flourished the day before.

This illustrates how quickly the apparent reality of this world—its beauty, wealth, and perceived control—can be utterly destroyed by Allah's decree, leaving nothing behind but a memory of what once was.

Issue 3: Purpose of Clarification

Thus do We make clear the signs for people who reflect. This detailed explanation of the analogy is provided so that those who use their intellects may ponder and understand the transient nature of this life.