The verses of the Qur’an give examples of different issues. One of them is the movement of the ships over the sea with the help of the winds. Our Lord order this in ash-Shura verse.

And of His signs are the ships sailing the sea like flags. If He willed, He could have stilled the winds, leaving them motionless on its surface. Surely in that are signs for every disciplined, grateful person. (42 ash-Shura Surah, 32-33)

This verse is used in the circles that bring criticism to the Qur’an. According to this claim, “today, ships are moving with motor power, not wind, with the possibilities provided by technology. Therefore, this example isn’t valid. This case is wrong because it is not foreseen for the future.”

First of all, I would like to state that this claim is very forced. It is understood that the ship specified in this verse was the ships that people saw and wind-driven at that time. Moreover, the subject will be better understood when the word “ship” is examined. In Arabic the counterpart of the word “ship” in general terms is “el-sefinu”. But in this verse the word “el-cevari” is used. When translated, this word is translated as ship in translations. This word derives from the act of “Cerea” which means flow. The term “being in the wind” used in Old Turkish comes from this root. The word “cereyne” also means “the ships take them away with a nice wind.” The word “cariyetün”, which originated from the same root, is used for ship, cloud, wind. (Source: Kuran’ı Kerim Dictionary, Timas Yayinlari, p:121)

Therefore, it is not enough to translate this word only as a ship. To give an example from English, “windjammer” is a type of ship. In this word, it is explained how that ship moves. When someone says windjammer, they also express that these ships are moved by the wind. In a similar manner « el-cevari » word which was translated as ship contains the expression that it moves with the wind. This meaning exists at the root of the word. As a result, they are the ships moving by the wind and that people see at that time. Besides, the word itself which is used in that verse and translated as ship means the ship that moves with the wind. The criticisms made in this regard are wrong. The reason for this criticism is the lack of information and prejudice in Arabic. If you look at the verse without prejudice, the meaning is understood easily. Also, if the root of the word is examined, the case can be solved easily

The message that is wanted to be given in the verse is already clear. If we can do something in this life, or something happens, it has a cause. If the thing that provides it is removed from the midst, that work stuck.

Even if the ships move with sunlight today, nothing changes. If the sun light sops and doesn’t arrive to our world, the ships stop.

Or if the ship is moving with shovels, this time the ship stops if the laws of physics that move the ship disappears.

Of course, what is described here applies to all areas of life. If one of our vital organ stops, our life can’t go on. If the laws of physics that allow a plane or bird to stay in the air disappears, they cannot fly.

In short, this word describes „windjammers“, „all other technological tools and „all works done or to be done in our life“.

By giving a small part of a whole, the whole thing is considered.

Everything we believe we have done by ourselves of happened by itself can happen only with the order of Allah and/or with other things which He created. Or, in other words, our Lord makes these things.