Tafsir of Luqman 31:31

Surah Luqman (31): Have you not seen...

Then the Almighty said:

{Have you not seen that the ships sail through the sea by the grace of Allah, that He may show you some of His signs?}

When He mentioned a celestial sign in His saying:

{Have you not seen that Allah causes the night to enter the day and causes the day to enter the night, and He has subjected the sun and the moon [to His command]} (Luqman: 29),

and pointed to the cause and the effect, He then mentioned an earthly sign, also pointing to the cause and the effect.

His saying: {the ships sail} points to the effect (the sailing). His saying: {by the grace of Allah} points to the cause, which is the wind, which is by the command of Allah.

{that He may show you some of His signs} means that He shows you, through their sailing by His grace, {some of His signs}, meaning some of His signs.

Then the Almighty said:

{Indeed, in that are signs for every patient, grateful one.}

Patient in hardship, and grateful in ease. This is because the believer remembers Allah during hardship and affliction, and remembers Allah during blessings and favors. Thus, he exercises patience when affliction befalls him and gives thanks when a blessing comes to him.

It is narrated in the Prophet's (PBUH) saying: "Faith is two halves: half is patience, and half is gratitude." This indicates that religious obligations (Takalif) are actions and abandonments. The abandonments are patience regarding what is customary, just as He (PBUH) said: "Fasting is patience, and actions are gratitude for the favor."

When a wave covers them like mountains or clouds (like shades), they call upon Allah, sincerely devoted to Him in religion. But when He delivers them safely to the land, some of them are moderate (i.e., they return to a balanced state of belief). And none denies Our signs except every extremely treacherous, ungrateful one.