Quran by Topic
The Barrier Between Seas
الحاجز بين البحرين
The Quran says two seas meet, with a barrier between them so neither transgresses. Modern oceanography calls this a halocline — a salinity gradient that does not mix without external force.
6 verses from the Quran
#01
"He released the two seas, meeting (يَلْتَقِيَانِ) [side by side]."
Arabic
مَرَجَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ
English (Sahih International)
He released the two seas, meeting [side by side];
#02
"Between them is a barrier (بَرْزَخٌ) [so] neither of them transgresses. The word 'barzakh' is used — a partition, a separator, not a wall."
Arabic
بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌۭ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ
English (Sahih International)
Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses.
#03
"And it is He who has released [simultaneously] the two seas — one fresh and sweet, one salty and bitter — and placed between them a barrier and a forbidding partition."
Arabic
۞ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى مَرَجَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌۭ فُرَاتٌۭ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌۭ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًۭا وَحِجْرًۭا مَّحْجُورًۭا
English (Sahih International)
And it is He who has released [simultaneously] the two seas, one fresh and sweet and one salty and bitter, and He placed between them a barrier and prohibiting partition.
#04
"Is He [not best] who made the earth a stable ground and placed within it rivers and made for it firmly set mountains and placed between the two seas a barrier? The same claim, framed as a sign."
Arabic
أَمَّن جَعَلَ ٱلْأَرْضَ قَرَارًۭا وَجَعَلَ خِلَٰلَهَآ أَنْهَٰرًۭا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ حَاجِزًا ۗ أَءِلَٰهٌۭ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
English (Sahih International)
Is He [not best] who made the earth a stable ground and placed within it rivers and made for it firmly set mountains and placed between the two seas a barrier? Is there a deity with Allah? [No], but most of them do not know.
#05
"And not alike are the two bodies of water. One is fresh and sweet, palatable for drinking, and one is salty and bitter. The different properties are stated as observable, not theoretical."
Arabic
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْبَحْرَانِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌۭ فُرَاتٌۭ سَآئِغٌۭ شَرَابُهُۥ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌۭ ۖ وَمِن كُلٍّۢ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًۭا طَرِيًّۭا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةًۭ تَلْبَسُونَهَا ۖ وَتَرَى ٱلْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
English (Sahih International)
And not alike are the two bodies of water. One is fresh and sweet, palatable for drinking, and one is salty and bitter. And from each you eat tender meat and extract ornaments which you wear, and you see the ships plowing through [them] that you might seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful.
#06
"And leave the sea in stillness. Indeed, they are an army to be drowned. The parting of the sea for Moses is named — and the word used allows a barrier-without-mixing reading."
Arabic
وَٱتْرُكِ ٱلْبَحْرَ رَهْوًا ۖ إِنَّهُمْ جُندٌۭ مُّغْرَقُونَ
English (Sahih International)
And leave the sea in stillness. Indeed, they are an army to be drowned."
All Arabic text from the Uthmani edition · All English from Sahih International translation · Topical groupings are based on classical tafsir; scholars may differ on inclusion of specific verses