Author: Mufti Noor Mohammad Mohibi
The Quran: A Miracle Beyond Time- A Study of Its Miraculous Nature (part 70)
The Mystery of the Salinity of Seas and the Barrier Between Waters
One of the greatest mysteries of nature is the salinity of seawater. On average, each liter of seawater contains about 27 grams of dissolved salt, and every cubic kilometer of seawater holds more than 34 million tons of salt. If this salt were spread over the land surface of the Earth, it would cover all continents with a layer of salt more than 150 meters thick.
The question arises: where did all this salt come from? Scientific theories have not yet provided a final answer. However, the Holy Quran reveals a profound truth: وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَحْجُورًا Translation: He is the One who has let the two seas flow together: one is fresh and sweet, and the other is salty and bitter. And He has placed between them a barrier and a forbidding partition. [1]
Allah the Exalted has determined the nature of everybody of water and has placed an unseen barrier (barzakh) between fresh and salty waters. This barrier not only prevents complete mixing but also restricts many freshwater creatures from entering salty seas.
Modern science today explains this phenomenon through concepts such as halocline and layered water currents, while the Holy Quran referred to it centuries ago.
Thus, the sea, with all its vastness and depth, is like a natural laboratory where precise divine laws are displayed: from buoyancy to underwater fire, and from ocean colors to the barrier between waters.
These natural signs, like the verses revealed in the Quran, lead us to a clear truth: the Creator of this remarkable system is the same One who revealed the Quran. As scientific knowledge advances, the harmony between scientific discoveries and divine revelation becomes clearer, and the aware heart declares with certainty: فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ Translation: Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny? [2]
Numerical and Scientific Miracle in the Balance Between Land and Sea
The Holy Quran is a book that reveals divine miracles in every dimension. These miracles appear in various forms: linguistic, legislative, scientific, unseen, and particularly numerical miracles, which have become more apparent in recent centuries.
The numerical miracle of the Quran means that its words, numbers, and proportions follow a precise and deliberate order that is beyond human ability and reflects the absolute knowledge of Allah.
One striking example of this miracle is the numerical balance between the words “land” (barr) and “sea” (bahr) in the Quran.
Throughout the Quran, the word barr (land) appears 13 times, and the word bahr (sea), in singular form, appears 33 times.
When these numbers are added together:
13 (land) + 33 (sea) = 46
Out of these 46 occurrences:
-
Sea: 33 occurrences ≈ 71%
-
Land: 13 occurrences ≈ 29%
Remarkably, modern science confirms that approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and 29% by land.
Can such precise harmony between Quranic word counts and the actual proportions of land and sea on Earth be a coincidence? Could a human being, over 1400 years ago and without scientific instruments, have known this exact balance?
This precise correspondence is a clear sign of the scientific and numerical miracle of the Holy Quran, especially since such knowledge was completely unknown at the time of its revelation.
It is even more astonishing when we consider that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who never personally observed the sea in his lifetime, conveyed such accurate and profound information. Could this knowledge have come from any source other than divine revelation?
This exact balance between words and natural realities is a powerful example of the numerical miracle of the Quran, demonstrating that this Book is truly the word of the Creator of the universe.
Numerical Order in Other Quranic Concepts
This numerical harmony is not limited to land and sea. For example, the word “month” (shahr) appears exactly twelve times in the Quran, corresponding precisely to the twelve months of the year.
Such consistency cannot be accidental. It shows that behind every word and repetition in the Quran lies divine wisdom and a perfect design.
As human knowledge progresses, new dimensions of this divine order continue to unfold, affirming that the Holy Quran is the speech of the All-Knowing and All-Wise: فضل كلام الله على كلام خلقه، كفضل الله على خلقه Translation: The superiority of the word of Allah over all other speech is like the superiority of Allah over His creation. [4]
The Quran’s Call to Reflection and Guidance
Allah the Exalted repeatedly calls humanity to return to the Quran: إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ Translation: Indeed, this Quran guides to that which is most upright. [5]
فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَى Translation: Whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor suffer. [6]
فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ Translation: Whoever follows My guidance, there will be no fear upon them, nor will they grieve. [7]
The Quran is the firm rope of Allah. Whoever holds fast to it is saved from misguidance and spiritual emptiness, and whoever lives by it finds peace, security, and true understanding.
Continues…
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References:
[1] Al-Furqan: 53
[2] Ar-Rahman: 13
[3] Summarized from: Encyclopedia of Scientific Miracles in the Quran and Sunnah, Vol. 2, pp. 90–102
[4] Musnad Al-Darimi, Book of the Virtues of the Quran, Hadith no. 3400
[5] Al-Isra: 9
[6] Ta-Ha: 123
[7] Al-Baqarah: 38
