Basic
Simile
Surah: Al-Shura (32)
Description for Accepted Hyperbole — "Like Mountains" Describing Ships
وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ ٱلۡجَوَارِ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ كَٱلۡأَعۡلَٰمِ
— الشورى الآية 32
Verse: "And among His signs are the ships sailing the sea like mountains." (42:32)
Meaning: Among Allah's signs are the ships sailing the sea (al-jawari) like great landmarks (al-a'lam) — mountains or tall banners.
The beauty of "like mountains":
An acceptable simile has a true point of resemblance — the listener feels the compared-to. A rejected simile compares the subject to something lesser — it demeans instead of exalting. "Like mountains": the compared-to (mountains) is more awe-inspiring — an elevating, exalting simile.
Meaning: Among Allah's signs are the ships sailing the sea (al-jawari) like great landmarks (al-a'lam) — mountains or tall banners.
The beauty of "like mountains":
- Size: Large ships are genuinely massive like mountains — an accurate, not merely hyperbolic, simile.
- Stability: Mountains are fixed in earth, and large ships appear stable in the sea despite moving — a union of opposites.
- Awe: Mountains inspire awe — and massive ships on the sea inspire similar awe — the simile transferred an emotional sensation, not just formal description.
An acceptable simile has a true point of resemblance — the listener feels the compared-to. A rejected simile compares the subject to something lesser — it demeans instead of exalting. "Like mountains": the compared-to (mountains) is more awe-inspiring — an elevating, exalting simile.
Source: Al-Zamakhshari (4/226); Al-Jarim & Al-Amin (p.30); Al-Zarkashi (3/388)
Test Yourself
What are the points of resemblance in comparing ships to mountains in Surah Al-Shura?
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