سُوْرَةُ فَاطِرٍ
Surah Faatir (35) — Ayah 12
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْبَحْرَانِ هَـٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَآئِغٌ شَرَابُهُۥ وَهَـٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ ۖ وَمِن كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا ۖ وَتَرَى ٱلْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿12﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And the two seas (kinds of water) are not alike: this is palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink, and that is salt and bitter. And from them both you eat fresh tender meat (fish), and derive the ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships cleaving (the sea-water as they sail through it), that you may seek of His Bounty, and that you may give thanks.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَسْتَوِى
yastawī
are alike
ٱلْبَحْرَانِ
l-baḥrāni
the two seas
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
This
عَذْبٌۭ
ʿadhbun
(is) fresh
فُرَاتٌۭ
furātun
sweet
سَآئِغٌۭ
sāighun
pleasant
شَرَابُهُۥ
sharābuhu
its drink
وَهَـٰذَا
wahādhā
and this
مِلْحٌ
mil'ḥun
salty
أُجَاجٌۭ ۖ
ujājun
(and) bitter
وَمِن
wamin
And from
كُلٍّۢ
kullin
each
تَأْكُلُونَ
takulūna
you eat
لَحْمًۭا
laḥman
meat
طَرِيًّۭا
ṭariyyan
fresh
وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ
watastakhrijūna
and you extract
حِلْيَةًۭ
ḥil'yatan
ornaments
تَلْبَسُونَهَا ۖ
talbasūnahā
you wear them
وَتَرَى
watarā
and you see
ٱلْفُلْكَ
l-ful'ka
the ships
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
مَوَاخِرَ
mawākhira
cleaving
لِتَبْتَغُوا۟
litabtaghū
so that you may seek
مِن
min
of
فَضْلِهِۦ
faḍlihi
His Bounty
وَلَعَلَّكُمْ
walaʿallakum
and that you may
تَشْكُرُونَ
tashkurūna
be grateful
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 12) {وَ مَا يَسْتَوِي الْبَحْرٰنِ … :} After the example of reviving the dead earth with rain for life after death and other examples, further proofs of Allah’s oneness and perfect power are mentioned. One of these proofs is that sweet rivers and salty seas, despite apparently being the same and sharing many benefits, are different from each other in several aspects. For a detailed explanation of ‘sweet and fresh’ see Surah Al-Furqan (53), and for the rest of the verse’s explanation see Surah An-Nahl (14).
