ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ
And when waves come over them like canopies, they supplicate Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, there are [some] of them who are moderate [in faith]. And none rejects Our signs except everyone treacherous and ungrateful.
Tafsir
Verse range: 31:32
The wave rises and piles up, becoming like canopies (ẓulal). A canopy (ẓullah) is anything that shades you, whether a mountain, a cloud, or otherwise. It has also been recited as al-ẓilāl (shadows), the plural of ẓullah, like qullah and qilāl.
"Yet among them are some who are moderate (muqtaṣid)..."
This means one who is moderate in disbelief and wrongdoing, having lowered his intensity and restrained himself to some degree.
Alternatively, it means one who is moderate in the sincerity he held while at sea. This implies that the sincerity born of fear does not last for anyone at all, and such a "moderate" person is rare and scarce.
It is also said: It refers to a believer who remained steadfast upon the covenant he made with God while at sea.
"And treachery (al-khatr)..."
Al-khatr is the most severe form of betrayal (ghadr). From this comes the saying: "You do not extend a span of betrayal toward us, but we extend a cubit of treachery toward you." The poet said:
And if you were to see Abu ‘Umayr, You would fill your hands with betrayal and treachery.
"O mankind, fear your Lord and fear a Day when no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father at all. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver."
