10:22 Yunus (Jonas)

لما ذكر تعالى القاعدة العامة في أحوال الناس عند إصابة الرحمة لهم بعد الضراء، واليسر بعد العسر، ذكر حالة، تؤيد ذلك، وهي حالهم في البحر عند اشتداده، والخوف من عواقبه، فقال‏:‏ ‏{‏هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ‏}‏ بما يسر لكم من الأسباب المسيرة لكم فيها، وهداكم إليها‏.‏ ‏{‏حَتَّى إِذَا كُنْتُمْ فِي الْفُلْكِ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ السفن البحرية ‏{‏وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِمْ بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ‏}‏ موافقة لما يهوونه، من غير انزعاج ولا مشقة‏.‏ ‏{‏وَفَرِحُوا بِهَا‏}‏ واطمأنوا إليها، فبينما هم كذلك، إذ ‏{‏جَاءَتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ‏}‏ شديدة الهبوب ‏{‏وَجَاءَهُمُ الْمَوْجُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ عرفوا أنه الهلاك، فانقطع حينئذ تعلقهم بالمخلوقين، وعرفوا أنه لا ينجيهم من هذه الشدة إلا الله وحده، فدَعَوُه مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ ووعدوا من أنفسهم على وجه الإلزام، فقالوا‏:‏ ‏{‏لَئِنْ أَنْجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ‏}‏

ثم أخبر تعالى أنه "هو الذي يسيركم في البر والبحر" أي يحفظكم ويكلؤكم بحراسته "حتى إذا كنتم في الفلك وجرين بهم بريح طيبة وفرحوا بها" أي بسرعة سيرهم رافقين فبينما هم كذلك إذ "جاءتها" أي تلك السفن "ريح عاصف" أي شديدة "وجاءهم الموج من كل مكان" أي اغتلم البحر عليهم "وظنوا أنهم أحيط بهم" أي هلكوا "دعوا الله مخلصين له الدين" أي لا يدعون معه صنما ولا وثنا بل يفردونه بالدعاء والابتهال كقوله تعالى "وإذا مسكم الضر في البحر ضل من تدعون إلا إياه فلما نجاكم إلى البر أعرضتم وكان الإنسان كفورا" * وقال ههنا "دعوا الله مخلصين له الدين لئن أنجيتنا من هذه" أي هذه الحال "لنكونن من الشاكرين" أي لا نشرك بك أحدا ولنفردنك بالعبادة هناك كما أفردناك بالدعاء.

Man changes when He receives Mercy after Times of Distress

Allah tells us that when He makes men feel His mercy after being afflicted with distress,

إِذَا لَهُمْ مَّكْرٌ فِى ءايَـتِنَا

(They take to plotting against Our Ayat.) The coming of mercy after distress is like the coming of ease after hardship, fertility after aridity, and rain after drought. Mujahid said that man's attitude indicates a mockery and belying of blessings. The meaning here is similar to Allah's statement:

وَإِذَا مَسَّ الإِنسَـنَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًا

(And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying on his side, or sitting or standing.)(10:12) Al-Bukhari recorded that Allah's Messenger ﷺ led the Subh (Dawn) prayer after it had rained during the night, then he said:

«هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمُ اللَّيْلَةَ؟»

(Do you know what your Lord has said last night) They replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said:

«قَالَ: أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ، فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ فَذَاكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي كَافِرٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَذَاكَ كَافِرٌ بِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِالْكَوْكَب»

(Allah said; "This morning, some of My servants have become believers and some disbelievers in Me. He who said: `We have had this rainfall due to the grace and mercy of Allah' is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars. And he who said `we have had this rainfall due to the rising of such and such star' is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.) The Ayah:

قُلِ اللَّهُ أَسْرَعُ مَكْرًا

(Say: "Allah is more swift in planning!") means that Allah is more capable of gradually seizing them with punishment, while granting them concession of a delay until the criminals think that they would not be punished. But in reality they are in periods of respite, then they will be taken suddenly. The noble writers (meaning the angels who write the deeds) will write everything that they do and keep count of their deeds. Then they will present it before the All-Knowing of the seen and unseen worlds. The Lord will then reward them for the significant deeds and even the seemingly insignificant that may be as tiny as a spot on a date pit. Allah further states:

هُوَ الَّذِى يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ

(He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea...) which means that He preserves you and maintains you with His care and watching.

حَتَّى إِذَا كُنتُمْ فِى الْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِم بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُواْ بِهَا

(Till when you are in the ships, and they sail with them with a favorable wind, and they are glad therein...) meaning smoothly and calmly;

جَآءَتْهَا

(then comes (these ships))

رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ

(a stormy wind)

وَجَآءَهُمُ الْمَوْجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ

o(and the waves come to them from all sides, )

وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ

(and they think that they are encircled therein) meaning that are going to be destroyed.

دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ

(Then they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him (alone)) meaning that in this situation they would not invoke an idol or statue besides Allah. They would single Him out alone for their supplications and prayers. This is similar to Allah's statement:

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ الإِنْسَـنُ كَفُورًا

(And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from you except Him (Allah alone). But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful.) 17:67 And in this Surah, He says:

دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ لَئِنْ أَنْجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَـذِهِ

(They invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him (saying): "If You (Allah) deliver us from this (situation).")

لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّـكِرِينَ

("We shall truly, be of the grateful.") This means that we will not ascribe others as partners with You. We will later worship You alone as we are praying to You here and now. Allah states;

فَلَمَّآ أَنجَاهُمْ

(But when He delivers them) from that distress,

إِذَا هُمْ يَبْغُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ

(behold! They rebel (disobey Allah) in the earth wrongfully...) meaning: they returned as if they had never experienced any difficulties and had never promised Him anything. So Allah said:

كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ

(He passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him!)10:12 Allah then said:

يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِكُمْ

(O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allah) is only against yourselves,) it is you yourselves that will taste the evil consequence of this transgression. You will not harm anyone else with it, as comes in the Hadith,

«مَا مِنْ ذَنْبٍ أَجْدَرَ أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ اللهُ عُقُوبَتَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعَ مَا يَدَّخِرُ اللهُ لِصَاحِبِهِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْبَغْيِ وَقَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِم»

(There is no sin that is more worthy that Allah hasten punishment for in this world -- on top of the punishment that Allah has in store for it in the Hereafter -- than oppression and cutting the ties of the womb.) Allah's statement:

مَّتَاعَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا

(a brief enjoyment of this worldly life...) means that you only have a short enjoyment in this low and abased worldly life.

ثُمَّ إِلَينَا مَرْجِعُكُمْ

(then (in the end) unto Us is your return...) meaning your goal and final destination.

فَنُنَبِّئُكُمْ

(and We shall inform you) of all your deeds. Then we shall recompense you for them. So let him who finds good (in his record) praise Allah, and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.

He it is Who conveys you yusayyirukum a variant reading has yanshurukum across the land and the sea until when you are in ships and they sail with them there is a shift of address from second to third person with a fair gentle breeze and they rejoice therein there comes upon them a stormy wind blowing violently destroying everything and waves come on them from every side and they think that they are overwhelmed that is that they shall perish they call upon God secure in their faith their supplication only to Him ‘If la-in the lām is for oaths You deliver us from these terrors we shall verily be of the thankful’ of those who affirm Your Oneness.

Commentary

The word: مَک (رح) ر (makr) used in verse 21: قُلِ اللَّـهُ أَسْرَ‌عُ مَكْرً‌ا (Say, "Allah is more swift in making plans" ) means secret plan or move that could be good or bad. Wherever this word has become a part of the local language, care should be taken that it is not rendered as ` deception'. For instance, in Urdu, the original language of this Commentary, it means just this. It is obvious that Allah Ta` ala is free from it. (1)

(1) The English language has no such problems as the open sense of makr can be transmitted through ` plan' or ` move' (Translator)

He it is who makes you journey on land and sea. Even so, when you are in the ship-it takes them along with a goodly breeze, and they rejoice in it; there comes upon them a raging wind, and waves come from every place and they think that they will be encompassed by them; they supplicate God, purifying the religion for Him: " If Thou savest us from this, we shall surely be among the thankful. " In the tongue of the folk of allusion, the journey on land is taking the road to the drinking places of the Shariah through inference by means of the message. The journey on the sea is the overwhelm- ing force of the Real which, at the moment of ecstasy, pulls the reins of the servant's steed without intermediaries through the way stations of the Haqiqah to the places of contemplating holiness. Just as on the sea you make a one-month journey in one day, so also in this field the chevalier traverses the distance of a whole lifetime with one divine attraction. This is why they say, " One attraction of the Real is equivalent to all the deeds of jinn and men. " The journey on land is the journey of the worshipers and renunciants in the desert of struggle on the steed of discipline with the guidance of the Shariah. Their goal is the paradise of approval and everlasting blessings. The journey on the sea is the journey of the recognizers and the sincerely truthful in the ship of kind favor, which is driven by the wind of solicitude in the sea of contemplation. Their goal is the Kaabah of union and the mystery of the Beneficent. It has also been said that land and sea are allusions to the contraction and expansion of the recognizers. Sometimes in contraction they weep between confoundedness and bewilderment, and sometimes in expansion they are delighted between witnessing and finding. When the wind of happiness again blows from the horizon of self-disclosure and the rain of generosity pours down from the cloud of gentleness, they see solicitude and kind favor, and the hard cash of their present moment becomes it takes them along with a goodly breeze, and they rejoice in it: On the carpet of witnessing, in the state of intimacy, joy comes over them.