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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
The two seas are not alike: one is fresh, sweet, and pleasant to drink, and the other is salty and bitter. Yet from both you eat fresh meat and extract ornaments which you wear [18]. And you see the ships plowing through the waves, so that you may seek His bounty and so that you may give thanks.
[18]
Sweet Water and Salty Water and Their Shared Benefits:
The water of rivers, springs, and lakes is generally sweet, while the water of seas is salty and bitter. The first type of water is life-giving, and as for the second type, not only is it undrinkable, but a person cannot even bathe with it. It is as if water itself has been divided into two types. And sometimes, rivers of both types of water flow side by side, but there is such a barrier between them that it does not let them mix with each other. This is a separate marvel of Allah’s power. Here, it is being explained that the reservoir of life-giving and nourishing water and the reservoir of bitter, unpleasant water cannot be the same. However, there are some benefits that you obtain from both types of water. Aquatic animals, especially fish, are found in both types of seas, and they are lawful for you. In both, you sail boats and ships and gain commercial benefits, and from both, pearls, corals, diamonds, gemstones, and marjan, etc., are extracted, which are used in your jewelry. In other words, in the water that was useless for your drinking, Allah Almighty has placed so many abundant benefits for you, and these blessings are being provided to you free of cost, for which you should be grateful to Allah.
[18]
Sweet Water and Salty Water and Their Shared Benefits:
The water of rivers, springs, and lakes is generally sweet, while the water of seas is salty and bitter. The first type of water is life-giving, and as for the second type, not only is it undrinkable, but a person cannot even bathe with it. It is as if water itself has been divided into two types. And sometimes, rivers of both types of water flow side by side, but there is such a barrier between them that it does not let them mix with each other. This is a separate marvel of Allah’s power. Here, it is being explained that the reservoir of life-giving and nourishing water and the reservoir of bitter, unpleasant water cannot be the same. However, there are some benefits that you obtain from both types of water. Aquatic animals, especially fish, are found in both types of seas, and they are lawful for you. In both, you sail boats and ships and gain commercial benefits, and from both, pearls, corals, diamonds, gemstones, and marjan, etc., are extracted, which are used in your jewelry. In other words, in the water that was useless for your drinking, Allah Almighty has placed so many abundant benefits for you, and these blessings are being provided to you free of cost, for which you should be grateful to Allah.
