Quran Universe
17:67

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدۡعُونَ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡبَرِّ أَعۡرَضۡتُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ كَفُورًا

Waitha massakumu alddurru fee albahri dalla man tadAAoona illa iyyahu falamma najjakum ila albarri aAAradtum wakana alinsanu kafooran

And when adversity touches you at sea, lost are [all] those you invoke except for Him. But when He delivers you to the land, you turn away [from Him]. And ever is man ungrateful.

Word by word
  1. وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. مَسَّكُمُtouches you
  3. ٱلضُّرُّthe hardship
  4. فِيin
  5. ٱلۡبَحۡرِthe sea
  6. ضَلَّlost
  7. مَن(are) who
  8. تَدۡعُونَyou call
  9. إِلَّآexcept
  10. إِيَّاهُۖHim Alone
  11. فَلَمَّاBut when
  12. نَجَّىٰكُمۡHe delivers you
  13. إِلَىto
  14. ٱلۡبَرِّthe land
  15. أَعۡرَضۡتُمۡۚyou turn away
  16. وَكَانَAnd is
  17. ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُman
  18. كَفُورًاungrateful
Al-Isra · 17:67Makkah

In the storm, only He remains. On land, you forget.

Sincere in danger, careless in safety

Two moods
storm at seaall others vanish
you call
Allah alone
then on land
you turn away
When faith shows
only in the storm
also on dry landlike 'Ikrimah

'Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl fled Makkah after its conquest and took a boat toward Ethiopia. A storm hit and the sailors said only Allah can save you. He thought: if only Allah helps at sea, only Allah helps on land. He promised to go to the Prophet ﷺ if he survived, and he did, and became a good Muslim.

The turbulence on the flight. The night in the hospital corridor. You prayed like never before. Then it passed, and within a week you were back to skipping Fajr. Be like 'Ikrimah: keep the promise you made in the storm.

I turn to Allah seriously when things get really bad.

The Allah I called in the storm is the same Allah on calm days.

Try this

Remember one promise you made to Allah in a hard moment. Keep part of it today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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

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 الضُّرُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلَّا 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 نَجَّاكُمْ 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 الْإِنسَانُ كَفُورًا

(And man is ever ungrateful.) means, by nature he forgets and denies His blessings, except for those whom Allah protects.