Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions, and those who follow him. To proceed:
This noble verse appears in the context of Allah mentioning His blessings upon His servants and reminding them of the signs that demonstrate His power and mercy.
Allah says:
“And a sign for them is that We carried their descendants in the laden ship, and We created for them from the likes of it that which they ride.” [Ya-Sin 36:41–42]
The commentators differed regarding the meaning of “from the likes of it” in two well-known interpretations.
This is a well-known interpretation among the commentators. It means that Allah created for people vessels of the same kind that they use to travel across seas and rivers.
According to this interpretation, the verse reminds people of Allah’s blessing in providing them with means of transportation, making available the materials from which ships are built, and granting them the ability and knowledge necessary to construct and benefit from them.
Some scholars held that the words “from the likes of it” refer to camels because they are a means of transportation on land, just as ships are a means of transportation at sea.
Camels are thus compared to ships because they carry people and their belongings and transport them from one place to another.
Some may ask: How can Allah attribute the creation of these things to Himself when humans are the ones who build ships with their hands?
The answer is that Allah is the Creator of human beings, their abilities and intellects, and the materials from which ships are made, such as wood, iron, and other materials.
A human being does not create a ship from nothing. Rather, he uses materials created by Allah and combines and shapes them through the intellect, ability, and knowledge that Allah has granted him.
Allah says:
“While Allah created you and what you do.” [As-Saffat 37:96]
Allah is therefore the Creator of human beings and their abilities, and He created the causes and materials that humans use in their work and industries.
Another aspect of attributing this to Allah is that He taught and guided human beings to the means of constructing ships.
Allah taught His Prophet Noah (Nuh), peace be upon him, to build the Ark through revelation. Allah says:
“And construct the ship under Our observation and Our revelation.” [Hud 11:37]
Allah created human intellect, ability, and materials, and He taught and guided people toward the means of benefiting from them.
It is important to distinguish between Allah’s creation and human craftsmanship.
Humans manufacture things by assembling, shaping, and arranging existing materials in particular ways. Allah, however, created human beings themselves, the materials, their abilities, and the laws that make such manufacturing possible.
Therefore, there is no contradiction between saying that a human built a ship and attributing creation ultimately to Allah. Each expression is understood according to its proper meaning and context.
The commentators differed regarding Allah’s statement:
“And We created for them from the likes of it that which they ride.”
Some said that it refers to ships and vessels, while others said that it refers to camels that people ride on land.
Attributing creation to Allah is correct because He is the Creator of human beings and their abilities, as well as the Creator of the materials and causes upon which manufacturing depends.
Humans build ships using the materials and abilities Allah has created for them. Therefore, there is no contradiction between humans being the builders of ships and Allah being the Creator of humans, their abilities, and the means by which they build them.
The verse is therefore among the signs of Allah’s power, His blessings upon His servants, and His making the means of transportation available to them. It does not mean that ships come into existence without human craftsmanship.
And Allah knows best.