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The Holy Qur'ān is not merely a book of faith but also a source of deep reflection on the natural world. Across its verses, Allah (SWT) invites humanity to consider creation as a means to recognize His wisdom and power. Among these signs, water and the oceans occupy a remarkable position. They are not only essential for physical life but also serve as metaphors for balance, diversity, and divine order. The Qur'ān speaks of seas and rivers, of their barriers and depths, and of ships that navigate them all long before the science of oceanography existed. When these verses are examined through a scientific lens, they reveal striking harmony between divine revelation and modern understanding.

The Science of Oceans: The Foundation of Marine Creation

Modern oceanography defines itself as the study of the physical and biological properties of the oceans, their chemistry, saltiness, density, temperature, and the life they sustain. The sea is a reservoir of wealth, filled with minerals, living organisms, and hidden energy resources. It also regulates the climate, producing much of the oxygen essential for life through photosynthesis by marine plants and phytoplankton. These tiny organisms, though invisible to the naked eye, generate more than half of the planet’s oxygen and form the base of the marine food web.

In the same way, the Qur'ān describes water as the foundation of all living things:

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
“And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” (21:30)

Centuries before the discovery of cellular biology, the Qur'ān declared that the essence of life is water. Modern science now confirms that every living cell, from the simplest organism to humans, depends on water for its structure and function. This harmony between revelation and science demonstrates that divine knowledge incorporates every field of study, even those that humanity has only recently begun to understand.

The ocean, as science explains, is not a single uniform body. Its waters vary in salinity, density, and temperature depending on geographical location. In the Mediterranean Sea, for example, the higher salinity makes it denser than the Atlantic Ocean, with which it connects at the Strait of Gibraltar. This contrast between water bodies was already described in the Qur'ān over 1,400 years ago.

Duality and Diversity: The Two Seas in Surah Fatir

One of the most vivid descriptions of oceanic phenomena appears in Surah Fatir:

وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْبَحْرَانِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَائِغٌ شَرَابُهُۥ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌۖ وَمِن كُلٍّۢ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًۭا طَرِيًّۭا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةًۭ تَلْبَسُونَهَاۖ وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“And the two seas are not alike: one is fresh and sweet, pleasant to drink, and the other is salty and bitter. Yet from both you eat tender meat and extract ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships sailing through them so that you may seek His bounty, and that you may give thanks.” (35:12)

The Qur'ān’s difference between ‘ʿadhb furāt’ (fresh) and ‘milḥ ujāj’ (salty)precisely captures the differences in chemical composition identified by oceanographers. Freshwater typically contains higher levels of calcium and bicarbonate, while seawater contains greater concentrations of sodium and chloride. This contrast influences not only taste but also marine ecology and the global water cycle.

Allah (SWT) does not merely describe these differences; He presents them as signs for reflection. The mention of jewellery and sustenance points to the economic and ecological importance of the sea. Pearls, corals, and fish all emerge from this environment, sustaining human civilization. The verse also transitions naturally to transportation, recognizing the movement of ships as another form of divine facilitation.

This single verse covers hydrology, marine chemistry, biology, and physics, all unified under divine order.

Invisible Barriers: The Miracle of the Barzakh

The Qur'ān also discusses the interaction between different bodies of water in multiple chapters, particularly Surah Ar-Rahman and Surah Al-Furqan:

مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ ۝ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ
“He released the two seas meeting side by side; between them is a barrier they do not transgress.” (55:19–20)

وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا
“And it is He Who has let free the two bodies of water—one fresh and sweet, and the other salty and bitter and He has placed between them a barrier and an impassable partition.” (25:53)

The Arabic word barzakh means a barrier or a zone of separation. Modern oceanography identifies similar phenomena known as pycnocline zones, where differences in density prevent two bodies of water from fully mixing. This is visible at several geographical points, such as the meeting of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean at the Strait of Gibraltar. There, despite physical contact, the waters retain distinct temperatures and salinity for considerable distances, a direct reflection of the Qur'ānic description.

Such accuracy could not have come from human knowledge of the 7th century. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ lived in an environment where deep-sea exploration was impossible, yet the Qur'ān spoke with exact scientific accuracy. This alignment between revelation and observation upholds that the Qur'ān is indeed the word of Allah, Al-ʿAlīm (The All-Knowing).

The barrier also symbolizes divine balance. Just as waters are controlled by invisible limits, creation itself functions within designed boundaries. This divine control sustains harmony, preventing chaos in both the physical and moral worlds.

Depths, Darkness, and the Wonders Beneath

Among the Qur'ān’s most astonishing oceanic descriptions is its depiction of the darkness in the deep sea in Surah An-Nur: 

أَوْ كَظُلُمَاتٍ فِي بَحْرٍ لُّجِّيٍّ يَغْشَاهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌۚ ظُلُمَاتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ
“Or like the darkness in a deep sea covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds of darkness, one above another. When one puts out his hand, he can hardly see it. And whoever Allah does not grant light, for him there is no light.” (24:40)

Scientists today know that sunlight penetrates the ocean only to specific depths. The red wavelengths are absorbed within the first 15 meters, orange and yellow vanish around 50 to 100 meters, and by 200 meters, almost all visible light is gone. Below 1,000 meters lies total darkness. The Qur'ān’s phrase “darkness, one above another” perfectly mirrors the stratification of light and density.

Even more striking is the mention of “waves above which are waves,” which oceanographers now identify as internal waves, subsurface movements that occur between layers of differing densities. These waves are invisible from above and were discovered only with the help of modern technology.

This verse, therefore, combines physical and spiritual depth. The imagery of darkness reflects not only oceanic reality but also human ignorance without divine guidance. Light, both literal and metaphorical, comes only from Allah (SWT).

The Blessing of Transport: Ships and Human Gratitude

The Qur'ān extends its oceanic imagery to the marvel of transportation. In Surah Fatir:

وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“And you see the ships sailing through them so that you may seek His bounty, and that you may give thanks.” (35:12)

The Arabic term muwākhir describes the sound and motion of ships cutting through waves. This poetic choice captures both the mechanics and the beauty of marine travel. Wind-driven ships depend on the same natural forces that Allah has established for air pressure, flexibility, and wave motion. Thus, even human innovation remains within divine design.

Elsewhere, in Surah Yasin Allah (SWT) reminds us:

وَآيَةٌۭ لَّهُمْ أَنَّا حَمَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ فِى ٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلْمَشْحُونِ ۝ وَخَلَقْنَا لَهُم مِّن مِّثْلِهِۦ مَا يَرْكَبُونَ
“And a sign for them is that We carried their forefathers in the laden ship, and We created for them similar vessels on which they ride.” (36:41–42)

Through these verses, the Qur'ān links human progress to divine mercy. The sea becomes a pathway for exploration, trade, and connection between nations. Yet the reminder at the end, “that you may give thanks,” serves as moral guidance. Humanity’s ability to navigate the oceans should inspire gratitude and responsibility, not exploitation.

Today, pollution and overfishing threaten the balance of marine ecosystems. The Qur'ān warns against such misbehaviour, urging humans as khalifah (representative) of the earth to preserve creation as a form of worship.

From the chemistry of salt and fresh water to the barriers separating seas, from the layered darkness of the ocean to the movement of ships, the Qur'ān’s portrayal of marine science is both poetic and precise. Long before microscopes and submersibles, Allah (SWT) revealed to humankind a knowledge that perfectly bridges faith and fact.

The seas, as the Qur'ān describes, are not only physical phenomena but living signs (ayat) symbols of divine power, mercy, and wisdom. In Surah Luqman Allah declares:

وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَـٰمٌۭ وَٱلْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍۢ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَـٰتُ ٱللَّهِ
“And if all the trees on earth were pens and the sea, with seven more seas added to it, were ink, the words of Allah would not be exhausted.” (31:27)

Indeed, every current, wave, and drop points back to its Creator. The study of oceanography in the Qur'ān is thus not merely an academic pursuit; it is an act of reflection and worship. The more humanity learns about the sea, the more clearly it sees the perfection of divine order.

About the author

Muhammed Basil is a degree scholar at Darul Huda Islamic University. He is studying in the Department of Qur'ān and Science. B.A politics student at Calicut University. His research areas include Quranic studies and Islamic history.

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