The Explicit Metaphor — "When the Water Overflowed We Carried You"

Definition of the explicit metaphor:
A metaphor in which only the vehicle is explicitly stated — the vehicle (the comparand) is mentioned without explicitly naming the tenor (the original), which is understood from context.

The verse:
"When the water overflowed, We carried you in the running vessel." (69:11)

Analysis:

• "The water overflowed (tala)": explicit metaphor — the water is compared to an overstepping tyrant who exceeds his limits — the vehicle (the tyrant) is referenced through the verb "tala" without naming a human tyrant
• "The running vessel (al-jariya)": the ship is mentioned by its attribute (the running one) not by name — another explicit metaphor focusing on the action, not the object

Rhetorical effect:
Describing the flood as "overflowing" gives it a moral dimension — the water is not merely water, but an organized punishment acting like a tyrant transgressing limits. This deepens the divine significance of the event.

Ibn Ashur: "The water overflowed: a profound metaphor — transgression is attributed to water because it exceeded its normal limit, just as a tyrant exceeds his limits."