1. THE MERGING OF TWO SEAS AND THE KINDS OF DARKNESS IN DEEP SEAS.

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14. THE MERGING OF TWO SEAS AND THE KINDS OF DARKNESS IN DEEP SEAS It is amazing that some Qur’ānic verses dealing with natural phenomena become understood more extensively through the discovery of science. Some examples are as follows: A. The Merging of two Seas.

Allah says in the Qur’ān: )02-91:‫لَ َيبْغ َيانَ​َ(الرحمن‬ َ َ َ​َ‫َ َب ْي َن ُه َماَ َبرْ َزخ‬.َ​َ‫جَ ْال َبحْ َريْنَ​َ َي ْل َتق َيان‬ َ​َ ‫َم َر‬ He has let loose the two seas (the salt and fresh water) meeting together. Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress. (Q. 55:19-20) This verse informs us that there are two seas which do not mingle with each other despite all storms and huge waves.

Science confirms this statement as explained by the famous for underwater research the French marine scientist Captain Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997) who had led hundreds of marine expeditions, as follows: We were investigating of some researcher's judgments that put forth that there were some barriers that separated different masses of the seas from each other. As a result of various studies, we saw that the Mediterranean Sea has a peculiar natural level of salinity and density. At the same time, it has specific life forms. Then, we analyzed the mass of water in the Atlantic Ocean and saw that it was completely different than the Mediterranean Sea. However, these two seas, which merge at the strait of Gibraltar, were supposed to be equal or at least near to equal in terms of salinity, density and life forms that they had. However, these two seas have different structures even in places where they converge closely. Upon our investigations, we came across with an event that amazed us. or, there was a great water curtain at the merging point that did not allow these two seas to mix up.

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The same kind water barrier was founded by German scientists at Bab el-Mandeb, where waters of Gulf of Aden and Red sea converge in 1962. In our later investigations, we witnessed the existence of the same kind of barrier in all merging points of sea that have different characteristics."

The existence of barrier between two seas discovered by Jacques Cousteau and German scientist has been mentioned by the Qur’ān over fourteen centuries ago mentioned above.

When two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them which divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity, and density. In the above example, when Mediterranean sea water which is warm (11.5o C), saline (over 3.65 %), and less dense, enters Atlantic ocean water which is less warm (10o C), saline (less than 10 %) through Gibraltar sill (flat stone at its base), it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth of about 1000 meters with its own warmth (11.5o C), saline (over 3.65%), and less dense characteristics. Although there are large waves, strong currents and tides in these seas they cannot transgress this barrier.

Scientist found that when the tiny particles of water of the Red Sea reach an imaginary line at Bab al-Mandeb, they return to the Red Sea. Similarly, when the tiny particles of the Indian Ocean in their way to the Red Sea upon reaching this imaginary barrier, they run slowly downward and return to the Indian Ocean. The barrier is that the Indian Ocean does not overflow the Red Sea, and the Red Sea does not mix with the Indian Ocean. Each of them has its own permanent density, warmth, and salinity, neither increases nor decreases.

But when the Qur’ān speaks about the division between fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of “a forbidding partition” with the barrier. Allah said in the Qur’ān: َ‫جَ ْال َبحْ َريْنَ​َ َه َذاَ َع ْذبَ​َفُ َراتَ​َ َو َه َذاَم ْلحَ​َأ ُ َجاج‬ َ​َ ‫َوه َ​َُوَالَّذيَ َم َر‬ (53 :‫لَ َب ْي َن ُه َماَ َبرْ َز ًخاَ َوحجْ رً اَ َمحْ جُورً اَ(الفرقان‬ َ​َ ‫َو َج َع‬

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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 [i.e. , a partition that is forbidden to be passed].. (Q. 25:53) This kind of barrier is seen at bays and deltas where the fresh water rivers flow into the seas. The term ‫( َبحْ ر‬baḥr) could also mean ‘river’ instead of ‘sea’, so that we can also sayَ َ ‫َبحْ ُر‬ ْ ‫( َن ْه ُر‬Nahr al-Nīl) meaning “the ‫( ْالنيْل‬Baḥr al-Nīl) besides ‫َالنيْل‬ River Nile”). The term “the two seas” in the above verse means “a river and a sea”, as no sea has sweet water.

The waters of rivers never mix up with salty water in places where they fall into seas. It is Allah’s blessing that He made the law of not mixing up between these two waters, the fresh water of rivers with the salty sea water of the seas, so that the living creatures in them and in their environments would not be annihilated all together.

What is meant by ًَ‫( حجْ رً اَ َمحْ جُور‬a partition that is forbidden to be passed) in the above verse is the estuary (the river mouth) where the partition (zone of separation) between the water of the river and the water of the sea. The salinity of the river’s water is 2%, and at the first zone of separation it becomes 1%, at the second zone it becomes 2%, and at the third and last zone it becomes 3%. The salinity of the sea water is 3.3%. They all do not mix. Therefore, the freshness of the water of the river is protected with three layers of zone of separation, first with 1% saline water, then 2% of saline water, then 3% of saline water, and the 3.3% of the saline water of the sea would not mix with this 3% saline water which is the third layer of zone of separation.

In another verse Allah says: َ​َْ‫َو َماَ َيسْ َتويَ ْال َبحْ َرانَ​َ َه َذاَ َع ْذبَ​َفُ َراتَ​َ َسائغَ​َ َش َرا ُب َُهَ َو َه َذاَم ْلحَ​َأ ُ َجاجَ​َ َومن‬ َ )90:‫َ(فاطر‬...‫ُونَح ْل َي ًَةَ َت ْل َبسُو َن َها‬ َ​َ ‫ونَلَحْ مًاَ َطر ًياَ َو َتسْ َت ْخرج‬ َ​َ ُ ‫ُكلَ​َ َتأْ ُكل‬ And the two seas (kinds of water) are not alike, this is

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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… (Q. 35:12) Here again, “the two seas” meant in the above verse, is “one river and one sea”, as there is no sea containing water palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink which is the water of the river. What are understood by the Arabs with these “two seas” are the Euphrates River and the Persian Gulf. Their water meets at the shore of Basrah, and the country located at the Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf is called Bilād l-Baḥrayn, i.e. “The country belonging to (or located between) the two seas”, and should not confused with the island of Bahrayn.

The verse states that from the river and the sea fresh fish as well as ornaments were produced. When this verse was revealed 14 centuries ago, pearls were made exclusively from the sea, but nowadays they are also being produced in sweet water of the river started by the Japanese, fulfilling this verse’s prediction.

B. The Kinds of Darkness in Deep Seas Allah said that the deeds of those who disbelieve are like a mirage in a desert. Then He said that they are in total darkness, darkness upon darkness, a follows: ُ ‫أَوَْ​َ َك‬ َ ‫ظلُ َماتَ​َفيَ َبحْ رَ​َلُجِّ يَ​َ َي ْغ َشاَهَُ َم ْوجَ​َمنَْ​َ َف ْوقهَ​َ َم ْوجَ​َمنَْ​َ َف ْوقهَ​َ َس َح‬ ‫اب‬ ُ َ‫جَ َي َدَهَُلَ َْمَ َي َك َْدَ َي َرا َهاَ َو َمنَْ​َلَ َْمَ َيجْ َعل‬ َ​َ ‫قَ َبعْ ضَ​َإ َذاَأَ ْخ َر‬ َ​َ ‫ض َهاَ َف ْو‬ ُ ْ‫ظل ُ َماتَ​َ َبع‬ َ)02:‫ّللا َُلَ َُهَ ُنورً اَ َف َماَلَ َُهَمنَْ​َ ُنورَ​َ(النور‬ ََّ َ َOrَ(the state of disbeliever) is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by dark clouds, (layers of) darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light (Q. 24:40)

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Modern scholars try to understand the expression of darkness upon darkness meant by this verse. They say that the sea is divided into two main parts: (a) external (outer) sea where the sun’s energy and rays pass through, and (b) deep sea where the sun’s energy and rays disappear. The deep sea and the external sea are different in their heat, density, pressure, the degree of sun’s rays, as well as the created things living in each of them where they are separated by internal wave.

The existence of internal waves in deep seas was discovered in 1904. They are between tens and hundreds kilometres long, and between ten and one hundred metres high. The deeper the sea the darker it becomes, starting approximately at 200 metres deep, until it becomes total dark at 1000 metres deep.

The gloomy darkness which increases from 500 metres to 1000 metres deep existing in the depth of the sees as the result of darkness one on the top of the other. The sunlight consists of seven colours which can be seen: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, each has its own length of wave. For example, the red light which has the shortest wave penetrates until approximately 02 meter’s deep, and after that red colour would not be seen. If a diver is injured at 25 meters deep, he will see black blood instead of red, because of the absence of red colour. The orange light penetrates at the deep of approximately 30 metres and creates orange colour only; at the deep of approximately 50 metres yellow light penetrates creating yellow colour only; at the deep of approximately 100 metres green light penetrates creating green colour only; at the deep of approximately 125 metres indigo and violet lights penetrate creating indigo and violet colours only; lastly, the last light that penetrates the sea is the blue light which penetrates 022 metres from the surface of the sea. In Qur’anic ُ “darkness, one above expression it is َ‫ق َ َبعْ ض‬ َ​َ ‫ض َها َ َف ْو‬ ُ ْ‫ظل ُ َماتَ َ َبع‬ another”

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Other kinds of darkness are obstructive as follows: 1. Darkness caused by clouds. Clouds usually cover the surface of deep seas due to the evaporation of the water, and therefore obstruct to some extent the rays of the sun. This is the first obstructive darkness.

2. Darkness caused by leaning external waves of the seas which reflects the rays of the sun.

3. Darkness of internal waves covering deep seas, starting from 70 metres to 240 metres, where millions of living creatures are found on the surface of the deep waves.

In conclusion there are ten kinds of darkness in deep seas: seven in deep seas, caused by seven colours which disappear one by one, and three obstructive ones: clouds, external wave, and internal wave. This kind of darkness took place only in deep seas. The term ‫ ل ُ َجي‬means “deep” according to Qatādah, “deep with much water” according to al-Zamakhshārī and alȚabarī. This is the condition of disbelievers; they live in darkness upon darkness, unless they get light from Allah, the light of guidance.

(Civic, 28 July, 2017) Sources: http://www.nabulsi.com/blue/ar/art.php?art=3566&id=182&si d=183&ssid=184&sssid=185 http://www.kaheel7.com/ar/index.php/2010-02-02-20-1313/250-2010-09-10-12-11-48 http://www.questionsonislam.com/article/seas-not-mixingeach-other http://quran-m.com/quran/article/2574-‫لجي‬-‫بحر‬-‫في‬-‫كظلمات‬-‫أو‬/

‫موج‬-‫يغشاه‬

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