فَإِذَا رَكِبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ دَعَوُا۟ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِكُونَ 65
Translations
And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allāh, sincere to Him in religion [i.e., faith and hope]. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him
Transliteration
Fa-idha rakiboo fil-fulki da'awoo Allaha mukhlisteena lahu ad-deen fa-lamma najjaahum ila al-barr idha hum yushrikoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the hypocrisy of those who, when facing danger at sea, sincerely call upon Allah alone in desperation, but once saved and reaching safety on land, they return to associating partners with Him in worship. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize this as a profound example of human ingratitude and the weakness of faith that is contingent upon circumstances rather than conviction. Al-Qurtubi notes that this behavior reveals the true state of the human heart—that tawheed (monotheism) was born of fear rather than genuine belief.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-'Ankabut, a Meccan chapter that addresses the weakness of human nature and the fickleness of those who claim to believe. The broader context of the surah discusses various forms of disbelief and hypocrisy among the Arabs. This specific ayah illustrates the common behavior of Arabian merchants and traders who relied on sea voyages for commerce, revealing their conditional monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The Quran itself references this behavior in Surah Yunus 10:22-23, where Allah describes similar scenes. Additionally, Hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Book of Dua) highlights the authenticity of du'a (supplication) during times of hardship, contrasting the sincerity then with forgetfulness afterward.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that sincere worship should stem from genuine conviction and gratitude, not merely from fear or desperation in times of crisis. Believers must maintain consistent faith in both hardship and ease, recognizing that true tawheed is a permanent commitment of the heart rather than a temporary emotional response to danger.
Related Ayahs
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ فَإِذَآ أُوذِىَ فِى ٱللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتْنَةَ ٱلنَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَئِن جَآءَ نَصْرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمْ ۚ أَوَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِمَا فِى صُدُورِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allāh," but when one [of them] is harmed for [the cause of] Allāh, he considers the trial [i.e., harm] of the people as [if it were] the punishment of Allāh. But if victory comes from your Lord, they say, "Indeed, We were with you." Is not Allāh most knowing of what is within the breasts of the worlds [i.e., all creatures]?
يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ أَرْضِى وَٰسِعَةٌ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱعْبُدُونِ
O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious, so worship only Me.
۞ وَلَا تُجَـٰدِلُوٓا۟ أَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَـٰهُنَا وَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ وَٰحِدٌ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allāh is with the doers of good.