Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 28

(Ayah 28) ➊ {فَاِذَا اسْتَوَيْتَ اَنْتَ وَ مَنْ مَّعَكَ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ …:} Commanded to board the ship and praise Allah, and He Himself taught the words, just as He taught Adam (peace be upon him) the supplication Himself, and just as on the Day of Resurrection He will teach our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the praise. Elsewhere, regarding cattle and ships, He said: «{ وَ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْفُلْكِ وَ الْاَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُوْنَ (12) لِتَسْتَوٗا عَلٰى ظُهُوْرِهٖ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوْا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ اِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَ تَقُوْلُوْا سُبْحٰنَ الَّذِيْ سَخَّرَ لَنَا هٰذَا وَ مَا كُنَّا لَهٗ مُقْرِنِيْنَۙ (13) وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلٰى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُوْنَ۠}» [ الزخرف : ۱۲ تا ۱۴ ] “And He created for you the ships and the cattle on which you ride. So that you may sit firmly on their backs, then remember the favor of your Lord when you have settled on them, and say: ‘Glory be to Him who has subjected this to us, and we could not have subdued it. And surely, to our Lord we must return.’” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite this supplication when mounting a ride: [اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، سُبْحَانَ الَّذِيْ سَخَّرَ لَنَا هٰذَا وَ مَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِيْنَ وَ إِنَّا إِلٰی رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُوْنَ، اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْئَلُكَ فِيْ سَفَرِنَا هٰذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوٰی وَ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تَرْضٰی، اَللّٰهُمَّ هَوِّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفَرَنَا هٰذَا وَاطْوِ عَنَّا بُعْدَهُ، اَللّٰهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فی السَّفَرِ والْخَلِيْفَةُ فِی الْأَهْلِ، اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَآءِ السَّفَرِ وَكَآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ وَ سُوْٓءِ الْمُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ وَالْأَهْلِ ] “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. Glory be to Him who has subjected this to us, and we could not have subdued it, and surely to our Lord we must return. O Allah! We ask You for goodness and piety in this journey of ours, and for deeds that please You. O Allah! Make this journey easy for us and shorten its distance for us. O Allah! You are the companion in the journey and the guardian over the family. O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the hardship of travel, from a distressing scene regarding wealth and family, and from returning with evil.” And when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would return from a journey, he would recite the same supplication, but would add these words: [ آئِبُوْنَ، تَائِبُوْنَ، عَابِدُوْنَ لِرَبِّنَا حَامِدُوْنَ ] [ مسلم، الحج، باب استحباب الذکر إذا رکب … : ۱۳۴۲ ] “We are returning, repenting, worshipping, and praising our Lord.” Noah (peace be upon him) was commanded to recite this supplication when boarding: «{ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ نَجّٰىنَا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ}» [ المؤمنون : ۲۸ ] “All praise is for Allah who saved us from the wrongdoing people.” And he ordered his companions to board the ship saying: «{ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ مَجْرٖىهَا وَ مُرْسٰىهَا اِنَّ رَبِّيْ لَغَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ }» [ ھود : ۴۱ ] “In the name of Allah is its course and its anchoring. Surely, my Lord is indeed Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

➋ By { فَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ نَجّٰىنَا …: ’’ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ ‘‘} is meant the polytheists, because shirk is the greatest injustice. The meaning of injustice is {’’وَضْعُ الشَّيْءِ فِيْ غَيْرِ مَحَلِّهِ‘‘} (placing something somewhere other than its proper place), and injustice also means darkness, as if the wrongdoer, in darkness, places things away from their original place. The greatest right is Allah’s; if it is given to another, this is the greatest injustice. (Ibn Ashur)

➌ The command to praise Allah upon being saved from the wrongdoers was given because they used to subject Noah (peace be upon him) and his companions to countless torments. Besides this, the very living of Noah (peace be upon him) and his companions among them, witnessing their disbelief, shirk, and filthy, impure deeds, was itself extremely distressing. Now that they were saved from them, the enemies drowned, a separate place to live was found, their own environment and gathering was established, so they were commanded to give thanks for this.

➍ For this reason, it is forbidden for a Muslim to reside among disbelievers without the purpose of dawah or jihad, because by constantly witnessing disbelief, shirk, immorality, and indecency, either he will always remain in severe distress, or his own honor and zeal will be lost. Therefore, if he lives in such a place, he is commanded to migrate from there. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَنَا بَرِيْئٌ مِنْ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ يُقِيْمُ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ ] [ أبوداوٗد، الجہاد، باب النھي عن قتل … : ۲۶۴۵ ] “I am disassociated from every Muslim who resides among the polytheists.”

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

28. And when you and those with you have boarded the Ark [32] and are settled, say, "All praise is for Allah, Who has saved us from the wrongdoing people [33]."

[32] These events and their details have already been discussed in detail in the footnotes of Surah Hud from number 34 to 53. Therefore, there is no need to repeat them.
[33] That is, this nation was so wretched that upon their drowning, Prophet Nuh ؑ thanked Allah and expressed happiness instead of sorrow. This nation was truly an example of "good riddance to bad rubbish." In fact, Prophet Nuh ؑ had clearly said in his supplication: O Allah! Do not let even a single household of this nation remain alive, because the children born among them will also be disobedient and wicked, and will never accept the truth. [71: 26، 27]