10. Surah Yunus, Mecca 51

The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:

هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ...

10: 22.  He it is Who enableth you to traverse through land and sea;

...حَتَّى إِذَا كُنتُمْ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِم بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُواْ بِهَا...

so that ye even board ships --

they sail with them with a favorable wind, and they rejoice thereat;

...جَاءتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ وَجَاءهُمُ الْمَوْجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ...

then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think they are being overwhelmed:

...دَعَوُاْ اللّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ ...

they cry unto God, sincerely offering (their) duty unto Him, saying,

...لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَـذِهِ لَنَكُونَنِّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ﴿٢٢﴾

"If Thou dost deliver us from this, we shall truly show our gratitude!"

فَلَمَّا أَنجَاهُمْ إِذَا هُمْ يَبْغُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ...   

10: 23.  But when He delivereth them, Behold! they transgress insolently through the earth in defiance of right!

...يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِكُم...

O mankind!

your insolence is against your own souls --

...مَّتَاعَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا...

an enjoyment of the life of the Present:

...ثُمَّ إِلَينَا مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾  

in the end, to Us is your return, and We shall show you the truth of all that ye did.

Transliteration Falamma_ anja_hum iza_ hum yabgu_na fil ardi bi gairil haqq(i), ya_ ayyuhan na_su innama_ bagyukum 'ala_ anfusikum mata_'al haya_tid dunya_, summa ilaina_ marji'ukum fanunabbi'ukum bima_ kuntum ta'malu_n(a).

Pickthall Yet when He hath delivered them, behold! they rebel in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion is only against yourselves. (Ye have) enjoyment of the life of the world; then unto Us is your return and We shall proclaim unto you what ye used to do.

Asad’s translation:

10: 22 He it is who enables you to travel on land and sea. And when you go to sea in ships: and they sail on in them in a favorable wind, and rejoice thereat – until there comes upon them a tempest, and waves surge towards them from all sides, so that they believe themselves to be encompassed [by death; and then] they call unto God, sincere in their faith in Him alone, “If You will but save us from this, we shall most certainly be among the grateful!”

10: 23 Yet as soon as He has saved them from this, lo! They behave outrageously on earth, offending against all right!

O men! All your outrageous deeds are bound to fall back upon your own selves! The enjoyment of life in this world: in the end unto Us you must return, whereupon We shall make you truly understand all that you were doing [in life].

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Ali’s comments:

1410. All the great inventions and discoveries on which man prides himself are the fruit of that genius and talent which Allah has freely given of His grace. But the spirit of man remains petty, as is illustrated by the parable from the sea.

How the heart of man rejoices when the ship goes smoothly with favourable winds!

How in adversity it turns, in terror and helplessness, to Allah, and makes vows for deliverance! and how those vows are disregarded as soon as the danger is past!

Cf. 6:63.

C1411. In our insolence and pride we do not see how small and ephemeral is that part of us which is mortal. We shall see it at last when we appear before our Judge. In the meantime our ridiculous pretensions only hurt ourselves.