Transliteration:( Wa izaa ghashiyahum mawjun kazzulali da'a-wul laaha mukhliseena lahud deena fa lammaa najjaahum ilal barri faminhum muqtasid; wa maa yajhadu bi Aayaatinaa illaa kullu khattaarin kafoor )
"But when any wave befalls them like mountains, then they call upon Allah having pure faith [70] in Him. But when He brings them safe towards land, then some of them keep to the middle course [71]. And none shall deny Our Signs except a deceiving and ungrateful person."
This verse highlights a recurring pattern in human behavior: when people are engulfed by terrifying dangers—such as mountain-like waves at sea—they instinctively abandon all idols and worldly supports, and turn sincerely to Allah. Their belief becomes purified of all false associations, revealing their inner recognition that only Allah can save. Yet, this sudden sincerity is often short-lived, as many forget Him once relief comes.
A true believer, however, remembers Allah in all conditions—in hardship and in ease—unlike the disbelievers whose devotion awakens only during crisis.
Some commentators relate this verse to Hazrat Ikramah bin Abu Jahl. During the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ granted a general amnesty, but four men—including Ikramah—were excluded due to their deep-rooted hostility. In panic, Ikramah fled by sea, but was soon caught in a violent storm.
As the ship began to sink, the sailors cried, "Call only upon Allah now, for your idols cannot save you!" Realizing this truth, Ikramah vowed that if saved, he would go to the Prophet ﷺ and embrace Islam. Allah, out of His mercy, brought the ship safely to shore. Ikramah fulfilled his vow and became a sincere Muslim. However, the others broke their promises, demonstrating that partial belief during hardship is not true faith.
This incident may indicate that although Surah Luqman is generally Makkan, this verse could have been revealed in Madinah.
The verse concludes by declaring that those who reject Allah's signs are both deceitful and ungrateful. They ignore divine evidence even after witnessing miracles and mercy. Such people lie to themselves and betray their own conscience, making their ingratitude worse in the sight of Allah.
The tafsir of Surah Luqman verse 32 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Luqman ayat 31 which provides the complete commentary from verse 31 through 32.
(31:32) When waves engulf them (in the sea) like canopies, they call upon Allah, consecrating their faith solely to Him. But when He delivers them safely to the land, some of them become lukewarm.[57] None denies Our Signs except the perfidious, the ungrateful.[58]
57. These two qualities are the antithesis of the two qualities mentioned in the preceding verse. A treacherous person is he who is utterly disloyal and who has no regard for his promise and pledge, and the ungrateful he who does not acknowledge the good and the gains and the benefits received by him, and even behaves rebelliously towards his benefactor. The people having these qualities return to their disbelief, their atheism and their polytheism without any hesitation as soon as the danger has been averted. They do not admit that they had perceived some signs in their own selves as well as outside themselves of Allah’s existence and of His being only One when overwhelmed by the storm, and their invoking Allah was in fact the result of their recognition of the same reality. The atheists among them explain away their act, saying, “It was a weakness which we manifested in the state of confusion and bewilderment, whereas there exists no God, Who might have saved us from the storm: we in fact succeeded in escaping by virtue of such and such a device and means and resources.” As for the mushriks, they generally say, “We had the succor and protection of such and such a saint or god and goddess available to us by virtue of which we escaped.” Therefore, as soon as they land on the shore, they start giving thanks to these false gods and presenting offerings at their shrines. They do not bother to think that when they had lost hope, there was none beside Allah, the One, whom they might have implored and invoked for help.
58. That is, “The relationship of a person with his friend, or his leader, or his spiritual guide, etc. is not that close and intimate as the relationship that exists between the children and their parents. But on the Day of Resurrection even the son and the father will not be able to help each other. The father will not have the courage to come forward and say that he may be seized instead of the son for his sins, nor will the son have the nerve to say that he may be sent to Hell instead of the father. How can then a person expect that one will be able to avail something for the other there? Therefore, foolish is the person who spoils his Hereafter in the world for the sake of another, or adopts the way of sin and deviation by dependence on others. Here, one should keep in view the theme of verse 15, in which the children have been admonished not to accept deviation in the matter of the faith and religion on behest of the parents, though in affairs of mundane life they are duty bound to serve them as best as they can.”
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