Tafsir for verses: 42:32, 42:33, 42:34
وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِ ٱلۡجَوَارِ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ كَٱلۡأَعۡلَٰمِ ٣٢ ﴿32 إِن يَشَأۡ يُسۡكِنِ ٱلرِّيحَ فَيَظۡلَلۡنَ رَوَاكِدَ عَلَىٰ ظَهۡرِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٖ شَكُورٍ ٣٣ ﴿33 أَوۡ يُوبِقۡهُنَّ بِمَا كَسَبُواْ وَيَعۡفُ عَن كَثِيرٖ ٣٤ ﴿34
32And among His signs are ships in the sea, like mountains. 33If He so wills, He may stop the wind, and they stand still on its surface. Surely in this, there are signs for everyone who is ever patient, fully grateful. 34Or He may destroy them because of what they earned, and may overlook many (whom He may save at least in this world),
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Commentary

The 'jawar' refers to ships. It has been recited: 'jawar' like 'al-a'lam' like mountains. Al-Khansa said: 'As if it is a banner with fire on its top.' [And indeed, Sakhr is our lord and master... And indeed, Sakhr, when he storms, is like a slaughtering of camels for guests, a metaphor for his great generosity. The 'aghar' is white. The 'ablaj' is the face that is clear and known. The 'hudat' is the plural of 'had': one who leads others to guide them. The 'alam' is the mountain: and 'on its top is fire' is a description of the banner that came to strengthen the simile and confirm it, and to emphasize the clarification of the one being compared and to make it famous. The usual guide of the caravan is to find the way by the towering mountains, so if there is fire on top of it, it is known that its people are generous. It is narrated: 'And indeed, Sakhr is the one whom the guides follow.' It has been recited: 'the winds' with an open or a broken 'lam', from 'dhall' (to shade) and 'yadhallu' (to remain in the shade), similar to 'dal' (to go astray) and 'yadillu' (to mislead). 'Rawakid' are stable ones that do not move on its surface, on the surface of the sea. [Mahamud said: 'Its meaning is stable ones that do not move on the surface of the sea.' Ahmad said: 'They say that the wind has not been mentioned in the Qur'an except as a punishment, unlike the winds. This verse breaks the generalization, for the wind mentioned here is a blessing and mercy. Through it, Allah makes the ships sail in the sea, for if it were to calm, the ships would be stagnant. It is undeniable that the majority of its occurrences are singular as they mentioned. As for its generalization, it is not. What has been narrated in the hadith: 'O Allah, make it winds and do not make it wind,' is due to the predominance in generalization, and Allah knows best.]] For every patient person in the face of Allah's trials, grateful for His blessings, these are the attributes of the sincere believer. He made them a metaphor for him, as he who dedicates his effort to contemplating the signs of Allah, he learns from them lessons that can lead to their destruction. The meaning is: if He wills, He tests the travelers at sea with one of two trials: either He calms the wind and the ships become stagnant on the surface of the sea and prevents them from moving, or He sends a stormy wind that drowns them due to what they have earned from sins, and He forgives much of it. If you say: Why is 'youbqihun' (He destroys them) connected? I say: It is connected to 'yaskun' (He calms), because the meaning is: If He wills, He calms the wind and they become stagnant, or He causes it to be stormy and they drown in its storm. If you say: What is the meaning of including forgiveness in the ruling of destruction where it is stated decisively? I say: Its meaning is: Or if He wills, He destroys some people and saves others through His forgiveness of them. If you say: Who read 'wa ya'fu' (and He forgives)? I say: He has begun a new statement.

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Al-ZamakhshariAbū al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʿUmar al-Zamakhsharī
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