Al-Israa 17:67
The Night Journey · ayah 67 of 111
Wa-itha massakumu addurrufee albahri dalla man tadAAoona illa iyyahufalamma najjakum ila albarri aAAradtumwakana al-insanu kafoora
Saheeh International translation
Other English translations
Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+
"When you get into distress at sea, those you pray to besides Him desert you, but when He brings you back safe to land you turn away: man is ever ungrateful."
Pickthall (classic)+
"And when harm toucheth you upon the sea, all unto whom ye cry (for succour) fail save Him (alone), but when He bringeth you safe to land, ye turn away, for man was ever thankless."
Yusuf Ali (classic)+
"When distress seizes you at sea, those that ye call upon - besides Himself - leave you in the lurch! but when He brings you back safe to land, ye turn away (from Him). Most ungrateful is man!"
Tafsīr · classical commentary
Ibn Kathir
Abridged English, public domain
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Ibn Kathir
Abridged English, public domain
When Harm befalls Them, the Disbelievers do not remember anyone except Allah
Allah tells us that when harm befalls people, they call on Him, turning to Him and sincerely beseeching Him. Hence Allah says:
وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ
(And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from you except Him.) meaning, everything they worship besides Allah disappears from their hearts and minds. Similar happened to `Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl when he fled from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ after the conquest of Makkah, and headed for Ethiopia. He set out across the sea to go to Ethiopia, but a stormy wind arose. The people said to one another: "None can save you except Allah Alone." `Ikrimah said to himself, "By Allah if none can benefit on the sea except Allah then no doubt none can benefit on land except Allah. `O Allah! I promise You that if You bring me safely out of this, I will go and put my hand in the hand of Muhammad and surely, I will find him full of pity, kindness and mercy."' They came out of it safely and were delivered from the sea. Then `Ikrimah went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and declared his Islam, and he became a good Muslim, may Allah be pleased with him.
فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ
(But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away.) means, you forget what you remembered of Divine Oneness (Tawhid) when you were on the sea, and you turn away from calling on Him Alone with no partner or associate.
وَكَانَ الإِنْسَـنُ كَفُورًا
(And man is ever ungrateful.) means, by nature he forgets and denies His blessings, except for those whom Allah protects.
Tafsir Saʿdi
English translation, public domain
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Tafsir Saʿdi
English translation, public domain