ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ
Say, "Who rescues you from the darknesses of the land and sea [when] you call upon Him imploring [aloud] and privately, 'If He should save us from this [crisis], we will surely be among the thankful.' "
Tafsir
Verse range: 6:63-64
Say: Who rescues you...
Know that this is another type of evidence demonstrating the perfection of Divine Power, and the perfection of Mercy, Grace, and Benevolence. In this section, there are several issues:
Asim, Hamzah, and Al-Kisā'ī recited {قُلْ مَن يُنَجِّيكُم} (Say: Who rescues you) with tashdīd (doubling) in both words. The rest recited it with takhfīf (lightening).
Al-Wāḥidī said: The doubling and lightening are two linguistic forms derived from the root najā. You may derive it with the hamza (i.e., anjā), or you may derive it by doubling the middle letter (i.e., najjā), similar to: afraḥtuhu (I made him happy) and faraḥtuhu (I was happy with him), or aghramtuhu (I made him fall in love) and gharamtuhu (I was afflicted with him).
This is supported by the Quran itself, as in: {فَأَنجَيْنَاهُ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ} (So We saved him and those with him) (Al-A'rāf: 72), and in another verse: {وَنَجَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا} (And We saved those who believed) (Fussilat: 18).
Since the revelation included both linguistic forms, the two recitations are equally sound in excellence. However, the preferred recitation is with tashdīd (doubling), because this action (saving/rescuing) has occurred from God numerous times.
Furthermore, Asim, in the narration of Abū Bakr, secretly recited {خُفْيَةً} (secretly) with a kasra on the khā' (khufiyatan), while the rest recited it with a ḍammah (khufiyatan). These are two linguistic variants. This difference is also found in Sūrat Al-A'rāf. Al-Akhfash stated that khufiyatan and khifiyatan are two linguistic variants. Moreover, al-khufiyyah relates to concealment (ikhfā’), while al-khīfah relates to fear (rahb).
Also, regarding {لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا} (If You save us) from this [distress]: Asim, Hamzah, and Al-Kisā'ī recited {لَئِنْ أَنجَانَا} (If He saves us) using the third-person singular form (absence/hidden address). The rest recited {لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا} (If You save us) using the second-person singular form (direct address).
As for the first group (those who used the third-person form), they differed: Asim recited it with tafkhīm (heavy pronunciation), while the rest used imālah (inclination).
The argument for using the third-person form (absence) is that what precedes and follows this phrase are mentioned in the third person: what precedes is {تَدْعُونَهُ} (you call upon Him), and what follows is {قُلِ اللَّهُ يُنَجِّيكُم مِّنْهَا} (Say: Allah rescues you from it). Furthermore, reciting in the second-person address necessitates an implied subject (i.e., they say, "If You save us"), and implied subjects go against the fundamental principle [of explicit wording].
The argument for using the second-person address is found in another verse: {لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ} (If You save us from this, we will surely be among the grateful).
{ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ} (darknesses of the land and the sea) is a metaphor for the dangers and terrors associated with them.
It is said of a severe day: "It is a dark day." And: "A day with stars," meaning its darkness became so intense it resembled the night. The literal meaning here is that the situation becomes severe for the person, the way out becomes obscure, and the path to salvation darkens.
Some commentators took it literally:
The purpose is that when these causes of intense fear converge, the person turns only to God Almighty. This turning occurs outwardly and inwardly, because in such a state, the person's sincerity before God becomes immense, and their hope in everything other than God is cut off. This is what is meant by {تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً} (humbly and secretly).
Thus, the Almighty explained that when the sound innate disposition (fiṭrah) and original creation testify in this situation that there is no refuge except to God, and no reliance except on God's grace, this sincerity should remain in all circumstances and times. However, this is not what happens. After achieving safety and rescue, the person attributes that safety to physical causes and resorts to polytheism (shirk).
Some exegetes state that the purpose of this verse is to refute the divinity of idols and statues. I say: Attaching oneself to anything other than God in the path of servitude is close to idol worship. The people of realization call this hidden polytheism (shirk khafī).
The wording of the verse indicates that when these hardships occur, the person performs several actions:
Then the Almighty explained that He rescues them from those fears and all other causes of fear and distress.
Yet, that same person then commits polytheism. A parallel to this verse is His saying: {ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ} (Lost is that which you invoke besides Him), and {وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُم أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ} (and they thought that they were encompassed, they called upon Allah sincerely devoted to Him in religion).
In summary, the habit of most people is that when they witness a terrifying event, they become sincere, but when they transition to safety and prosperity, they associate partners with Him.
{قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ}
Say: He is the All-Powerful to send against you a punishment from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confuse you into factions and make some of you taste the violence of others. See how We present the signs so that they may understand.
Translation Notes:
