ships. “Until, when you are aboard ships”—that is, vessels, a word used for both the singular and plural—“and they sail with them,” meaning that the ships sail with the people: the address shifts from the second person to the third person. “With a favorable wind,” that is, a gentle wind, “and they rejoice in it,” namely, in the wind, “a violent wind comes upon them,” meaning, a wind comes upon the ships that blows fiercely. It does not say “a violent wind,” because violent blowing is a quality particular to wind. It was also said that the word for wind may be treated as either masculine or feminine.

“And waves come at them”—that is, at the passengers aboard the ship. Waves are the movement and churning of water—“from every side, and they think,” that is, become certain, “that they are overwhelmed”: they have drawn near to destruction; that is, destruction has surrounded them. “They call upon Allah, sincerely devoting their religion to Him”: they call upon Allah alone sincerely and invoke no one besides Him. They say, “If You save us, our Lord, from this,” from this violent wind, “we will surely be among the grateful,” grateful to You through faith and obedience.

“But when He saves them, they immediately transgress unjustly throughout the land. O people, your transgression is only against yourselves—a fleeting enjoyment of worldly life. Then to Us is your return, and We shall inform you of what you used to do. (23)

“The likeness of worldly life is that of water We send down from the sky, with which the earth’s vegetation grows—vegetation from which people and livestock eat—until, when the earth has taken on its finery and is adorned, and its people think they have power over it, Our command comes upon it by night or by day, and We make it like a harvest, as though it had not flourished the day before. Thus We explain the signs in detail for people who reflect.” (24)

“But when He saves them, they immediately transgress unjustly throughout the land”: they commit injustice and exceed the bounds of Allah’s command in the land. “Unjustly,” that is, through corruption.

“O people, your transgression is only against yourselves,” because its evil consequences return upon yourselves. Then He begins anew, saying, “A fleeting enjoyment of worldly life”: that is, this is a fleeting enjoyment of worldly life, the predicate of an implied subject, as in His saying, “They lingered no more than an hour of a day—a proclamation” (al-Ahqaf, 46:35), meaning: this is a proclamation. It was also said that the statement is continuous: “transgression” is the subject and “a fleeting enjoyment” its predicate.

Its meaning is: Your transgression is only a fleeting enjoyment of worldly life; it is not fit [as a provision for the Hereafter] (1), because through it you incur Allah’s wrath.

Hafs recited “a fleeting enjoyment” in the accusative, meaning: you enjoy the fleeting enjoyment of worldly life. “Then to Us is your return, and We shall inform you of what you used to do.”

His words, exalted is He, “The likeness of worldly life,” refer to its perishability and passing away: “like water We send down from the sky, with which...”