أَمَّا ٱلسَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَٰكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا …

Quran 18:79 is ayah 79 of Surah Al-Kahf (“The Cave”), a Meccan surah of 110 ayahs. It is in Juz 16, on page 302 of the Madani Mushaf.

Juz 16
Hizb 31
Page 302
Ruku 10
Revealed Mecca

18:79

أَمَّاٱلسَّفِينَةُفَكَانَتْلِمَسَٰكِينَيَعْمَلُونَفِىٱلْبَحْرِفَأَرَدتُّأَنْأَعِيبَهَاوَكَانَوَرَآءَهُممَّلِكٌيَأْخُذُكُلَّسَفِينَةٍغَصْبًا٧٩

ammā l-safīnatu fakānat limasākīna yaʿmalūna fī l-baḥri fa-aradttu an aʿībahā wakāna warāahum malikun yakhudhu kulla safīnatin ghaṣban

As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.(79)

Word by word

أَمَّاammāAs for
ٱلسَّفِينَةُl-safīnatuthe ship
فَكَانَتْfakānatit was
لِمَسَٰكِينَlimasākīnaof (the) poor people
يَعْمَلُونَyaʿmalūnaworking
فِىfīin
ٱلْبَحْرِl-baḥrithe sea
فَأَرَدتُّfa-aradttuSo I intended
أَنْanthat
أَعِيبَهَاaʿībahāI cause defect (in) it
وَكَانَwakāna(as there) was
وَرَآءَهُمwarāahumafter them
مَّلِكٌmalikuna king
يَأْخُذُyakhudhuwho seized
كُلَّkullaevery
سَفِينَةٍsafīnatinship
غَصْبًاghaṣban(by) force

Tafsir (commentary) of 18:79

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Interpretations of why the Ship was damaged

This is an explanation of what Musa found so hard to understand, and the appearence of which he condemed. Allah showed Al-Khidr the hidden reasons, so he said, "I damaged the ship to make it faulty, because they used to pass by a king who was one of the oppressors, who

يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ

(seized every boat), i.e., every good, sound boat

غَصْباً

(by force.) `So I wanted to prevent him from taking this boat by making it appear faulty, so that its poor owners who had nothing else could benefit from it.' It was also said that they were orphans.

Read the full Surah Al-Kahf