سُوْرَةُ الْفُرْقَانِ
Surah Al-Furqaan (25) — Ayah 53
۞ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى مَرَجَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ هَـٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَـٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا ﴿53﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And it is He Who has let free the two seas (kinds of water): this is palatable and sweet, and that is salt and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ وَهُوَ
wahuwa
And He
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
(is) the One Who
مَرَجَ
maraja
(has) released
ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ
l-baḥrayni
the two seas
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
[this] (one)
عَذْبٌۭ
ʿadhbun
palatable
فُرَاتٌۭ
furātun
and sweet
وَهَـٰذَا
wahādhā
and [this] (one)
مِلْحٌ
mil'ḥun
salty
أُجَاجٌۭ
ujājun
(and) bitter
وَجَعَلَ
wajaʿala
and He has made
بَيْنَهُمَا
baynahumā
between them
بَرْزَخًۭا
barzakhan
a barrier
وَحِجْرًۭا
waḥij'ran
and a partition
مَّحْجُورًۭا
maḥjūran
forbidden
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
53-1. You call sweet water "Furat"; "Farat" means to cut off, to break. Sweet water quenches thirst, meaning it ends it. "Ujaj" means extremely salty or bitter.
53-2. Which do not let each other mix. Some have interpreted "Hijran Mahjura" to mean "Haraman Muharrama" — it has been made forbidden for them that sweet water becomes salty or salty water becomes sweet. And some commentators have translated "Maraja al-Bahrayn" as "Khalaqa al-Ma’ayn" — He created two waters, one sweet and the other salty. Sweet water is that which is found among settlements in the form of rivers, springs, and wells, which humans use for their needs. And salty water is that which is in the vast seas spread in the east and west, which are said to make up three-fourths of the earth, and one-fourth is land where humans and animals reside. These seas are still, but tides continue to occur in them and the turbulence of waves remains ongoing. There is great wisdom of Allah in keeping the sea water salty. If sweet water remains stagnant for a long time, it becomes spoiled; its taste, color, or smell changes. Salty water does not spoil, nor does its taste, color, or smell change. If the water of these still seas were also sweet, it would develop a stench, making it difficult for humans and animals to live on earth, especially with the added stench of dead animals in it. Allah’s wisdom is such that these seas have existed for thousands of years, and thousands of animals die in them and decompose within them, but Allah has placed such an amount of salt and minerals in them that it does not allow any stench to develop in their water. The winds rising from them are also pure, and their water is also pure, even their dead (sea creatures) are lawful, as in the hadith. Muwatta Imam Malik. Ibn Majah.
53-2. Which do not let each other mix. Some have interpreted "Hijran Mahjura" to mean "Haraman Muharrama" — it has been made forbidden for them that sweet water becomes salty or salty water becomes sweet. And some commentators have translated "Maraja al-Bahrayn" as "Khalaqa al-Ma’ayn" — He created two waters, one sweet and the other salty. Sweet water is that which is found among settlements in the form of rivers, springs, and wells, which humans use for their needs. And salty water is that which is in the vast seas spread in the east and west, which are said to make up three-fourths of the earth, and one-fourth is land where humans and animals reside. These seas are still, but tides continue to occur in them and the turbulence of waves remains ongoing. There is great wisdom of Allah in keeping the sea water salty. If sweet water remains stagnant for a long time, it becomes spoiled; its taste, color, or smell changes. Salty water does not spoil, nor does its taste, color, or smell change. If the water of these still seas were also sweet, it would develop a stench, making it difficult for humans and animals to live on earth, especially with the added stench of dead animals in it. Allah’s wisdom is such that these seas have existed for thousands of years, and thousands of animals die in them and decompose within them, but Allah has placed such an amount of salt and minerals in them that it does not allow any stench to develop in their water. The winds rising from them are also pure, and their water is also pure, even their dead (sea creatures) are lawful, as in the hadith. Muwatta Imam Malik. Ibn Majah.
