Quran on Sweet / Salt Water And Partition

Barrier Between Seas

Animation of Sea Layers Waves
Just recently, we discovered that the Atlantic Ocean water has entirely different characteristics from those of the Mediterranean Sea. Same is the case with other large water bodies. They all have different characteristics in terms of density, salinity, and other properties. The two seas present different features even though they are adjacent. When Mediterranean sea water enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill, it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth of hundreds of meters with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics. This is because of the surface tension caused by the difference in the density of their waters that prevents them from mixing with one another, just as if a wall is between them. Now, look what the Quran says about this many centuries ago in Surah Furqan, Surah Fatir, and Surah Rahman.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَحْجُورًا

And it is He who has released the two seas, one fresh and sweet and one salty and bitter, and He placed between them a barrier and prohibiting partition. Surah Furqan 25: 53

 ……وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْبَحْرَانِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَائِغٌ شَرَابُهُ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ ۖ

And not alike are the two bodies of water. One is fresh and sweet, palatable for drinking, and one is salty and bitter……. Surah Fatir 35:12

١٩ مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ

٢٠ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ

He released the two seas, meeting [side by side];

Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses. Surah Rahman 55:19-20

Miracle In The Use Of Word “بَرْزَخٌ” And Word “مَرَجَ”

Water Stratification
In Arabic, the word بَرْزَخٌ means a barrier or a partition while the word مَرَجَ means meet and mix with each other. In past commentators of the Quran were unable to explain the two opposite meanings for the two bodies of water, i.e. they meet and mix, and at the same time, there is a barrier between them. But now from the above example of Atlantic and Mediterranean sea, you can clearly see that despite going inside Atlantic ocean the Mediterranean waters still keep their characteristics and don’t mix with the other water body completely.

Barrier Between Sweet & Salt Water

Animation Showing Barrier Between Seas

The above scenario is for two sees not mingling each other. As for sweat and salt water, the situation is somewhat different from that which is found in places where two seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a pycnocline zone. Pycnocline Zone in the oceans where water density increases rapidly with depth in response to changes in temperature and salinity. The pycnocline tends to coincide with the thermocline and halocline and separates the surface-water zone of ocean waters from the deep bottom water. Thus act as partitions “حِجْرًا مَحْجُورً” a barrier and prohibiting partition.

Another Miracle

Calm Sea
From another perspective, in the world (Planet Earth) taken as a whole, there are two bodies of water the great salt Ocean, and the bodies of sweet water whether they are rivers, lakes, or underground springs. They are free to mingle yet in spite of all this, the laws of gravitation are like a barrier or partition set by God, by which the two bodies of water as a whole are always kept apart and distinct.

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE IMPORTANT WORDS USED IS GIVEN BELOW

مَرَجَ

The third word of verse 25:53 is a perfect verb فعل ماض. The verb is third person masculine singular. The verb’s root is (م ر ج). This root occurs six times in the Quran, in four derived forms.

V – 3rd person masculine singular perfect verb فعل ماض

(م ر ج): “Maraj al Amro” The affair became in a confused and disturbed state so that one found it difficult to extricate oneself from perplexity therein, هرج و مرج Confusion and disturbance in an affair/ “Maraja” He mixed a thing with another thing or two things together, “Marija” means it (religion) became corrupt/ “Marij” A mixture of fire; a flame of fire or fire without smoke, “Murjan” Small pearls or large pearls, Coral.

بَرْزَخًا

The thirteenth word of verse 25:53 is an indefinite masculine noun and is in the accusative case منصوب

N – accusative masculine indefinite noun اسم منصوب

بَرْزَخٌ : A thing that intervenes between any two things, or a bar, an obstruction, or a thing that separates two things; (2) the interval between the present life and that which is to come from the period of death to resurrection; (3) the period or state from the day of death to the day of resurrection.

حِجْرًا

The fourteenth word of verse 25:53 is an indefinite noun is masculine and is in the accusative case منصوب. The noun’s root is (ح ج ر). This root occurs 21 times in the Quran, in six derived forms.

N – accusative masculine indefinite noun اسم منصوب

(ح ج ر) : “Hajara” prohibit restrain Forbidden/ “Hajjara” to certify, turn into stone, to concrete solidify/ “Hajr” Stone, Jewel/ “Hujr” “Hijr” prohibited, banned, taboo/ unlawful/inviolable/“Nasha Fi Hijrihi” He grew up in his care and protection sacred/Also “Hajr” “Hijr” Bosom or breast of a man or woman, any garden or walled garden the anterior pudendum of a man or woman, a mare; relationship that prohibits marriage nearness with respect to Kindred/ understanding intelligence reason 89:5/ “Hujrat” An enclosure a chamber or an upper chamber;apartment aside a tomb, “Hijara” A stone ; sand ; rock like “Hijra e Aswad”

فُرَاتٌ

The seventh word of verse 25:53 is an indefinite masculine singular adjective and is in the nominative case مرفوع. The adjective’s root is (ف ر ت). This root occurs three times in the Quran as the adjective furāt (فُرَات).

ADJ – nominative masculine singular indefinite adjective صفة مرفوعة

(ف ر ت): “Faratun” Fa-Ra-Ta “Farut ul Maa” The water was or became sweet or very sweet/ “Farata” “Farat” He committed adultery or fornication, synonym “Fajara”, he became weak in his intellect after having possessed ample intelligence/ “Furat” (applied to water): Sweet or most sweet, or that subdues thirst by its excessive sweetness..Like River Farat.

عَذْبٌ

The sixth word of verse 25:53 is an indefinite masculine noun and is in the nominative case مرفوع. The noun’s root is (ع ذ ب). This root occurs 373 times in the Quran, in five derived forms.

N – nominative masculine indefinite noun اسم مرفوع

(ع ذ ب): “Azb” Sweet water or water, wine or beverage and food that is easy and agreeable to be swallowed or drunk…also used as “he is sweet of tongue”/ “Azaba” He gave up food on account of vehement thirst/ “Azab” Punishment or chastisement; any corporal punishment; any infliction of pain that disgraced the person punished Punishment/Suffering is so-called because it prevents the person punished from returning to the like of his offense, and prevents others from doing the like of that which he has done meaning he prevented/ “Moazzib” One who punishes/ “Moazzab” One who is punished.

مِلْحٌ

The ninth word of verse 25:53 is an indefinite masculine noun and is in the nominative case مرفوع. The noun’s root is (م ل ح). This root occurs twice in the Quran as the noun milḥ (مِلْح).

N – nominative masculine indefinite noun → Salt اسم مرفوع

(م ل ح): “Milhun” Mim-Lam-Ha It (water) was salt; it was or became beautiful/ Some say that the primary meaning is white and salt is so called because it is white. “Malah” ملاح A sailor is so called because he is constantly upon the salt water. 25: 53:

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