How do we interpret the two noble verses: "And among His signs are the ships sailing through the sea, like mountains. If He wills, He stills the wind, and they remain motionless on its surface. Indeed, in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful," in our current era where ships move by fuel and do not rely on wind?

The Quranic verses clarify that the sailing of ships on the seas is one of God's signs. If He willed, He could stop the winds, and the ships would halt, or He could destroy them with those on board. Most exegetes indicate that the verses speak of sailing ships that rely on wind. There are other interpretative trends, some of which see "wind" (الريح) as meaning "power" (القوة), others believe that the calm of the wind affects all ships regardless of their fuel, and some argue that the expulsion of air to propel ships falls within the meaning of the verse.

The preponderant opinion is that the first meaning is intended. A rebuttal to those who interpreted "wind" (الريح) as "power" (القوة) is the Almighty's saying: "And they sailed with them by a good wind" (وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِمْ بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ).

It is permissible for the Quran and Sunnah to mention one type of transportation, and the word is not necessarily required to encompass all types of transportation, unless it is a generic noun. The Quran has alluded to means of transportation unknown to the addressees of its time, such as the Almighty's saying: "And He creates that which you do not know" (وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَ) and "And We created for them from its like that which they ride" (وَخَلَقْنَا لَهُمْ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ مَا يَرْكَبُونَ). It is Allah Almighty who causes the ships to sail by His command, and this includes everything that moves on the sea by any fuel whatsoever. Allah is capable of stopping human engines just as He is capable of calming the wind. And Allah knows best.