[Al-Quran 50:6-8] Have they not looked at the heaven above them - how We structured it and adorned it and how it has no rifts? And the earth - We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind, Giving insight and a reminder for every servant who turns [to Allah].

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

The Watery Realm & The Appearance of Dry Land

 ... 

The Beginning

1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The First Day: Light

3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

The Second Day: Firmament

6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

The Third Day: Dry Ground

9And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. ...

[The Bible, Genesis 1 1-10, Translation: KJV]


The Torah (The Old Testament) begins with the Creation story. It describes the darkness upon the face (وَجْهِ) of the deep (الْغَمْرِ), the watery realm, the illumination, naming it the Day (نَهَارا), and naming the darkness Night (لَيْلا); the beginning of Evening (مَسَاءٌ) and Morning (صَبَاحٌ), the first Day (يَوْما وَاحِدا). Then, the separation of the waters into sky and ocean, the appearance of the dry land, ... 


The Exodus, the parting of the sea to make dry land appear, is one of the most wondrous events in The Torah. This was an event that was witnessed and experienced by all the Bani Israel who crossed it along with Moses (Musa عليه السلام), and also witnessed and experienced by the Pharaoh and his forces who were drowned in the same sea when the walls of water came crashing down upon them. 


Another famous water story common to all world mythologies is the Deluge or Flood. The Torah and The Quran also endorse it. It is when Allah ﷻ opened the waters of the sky to fall upon Earth, the waters of the sky and earth met, and submerged all who disbelieved Noah (Nuh عليه السلام).  


Surah Fatir (Separator) states: 

۞ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُمۡسِكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضَ اَنۡ تَزُوۡلَا ۚ وَلَٮِٕنۡ زَالَــتَاۤ اِنۡ اَمۡسَكَهُمَا مِنۡ اَحَدٍ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِهٖ ؕ اِنَّهٗ كَانَ حَلِيۡمًا غَفُوۡرًا‏ ٤١

Verily! Allâh grasps the heavens and the earth lest they should move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.

[Al-Quran 35:41, Translator: Al-Hilali & Khan] 


The Quran, Surah an-Naziat, draws attention towards the creation of the sky:

ءَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ ۚ بَنَىٰهَا ٢٧

Which is harder to create: you people or the sky that He built,

رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا ٢٨

raising it high and perfecting it,

وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا ٢٩

giving darkness to its night and bringing out its morning brightness,

وَٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ ٣٠

and the earth, too, He spread out,

[Al-Quran 79:27-30; Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem]


In the beginning, there was darkness even on the surface of water. Allah عزوجل granted light to illuminate the surface of the water. He also created the sun, moon, and stars, on the fourth day, to illuminate it further. So, day and night, there is some form of illumination on the surface of the Earth's waters. However, the deeper one goes, the darker it gets. The oceans of the Earth have various levels of illumination, till it gets so dark that one can hardly see his stretched out hand. And the ocean is much deeper than that. 


أَوْ كَظُلُمَـٰتٍۢ فِى بَحْرٍۢ لُّجِّىٍّۢ يَغْشَىٰهُ مَوْجٌۭ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ مَوْجٌۭ مِّن فَوْقِهِۦ سَحَابٌۭ ۚ ظُلُمَـٰتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُۥ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَىٰهَا ۗ وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورًۭا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ ٤٠


Or ˹their deeds are˺ like the darkness in a deep sea, covered by waves upon waves, topped by ˹dark˺ clouds. Darkness upon darkness! If one stretches out their hand, they can hardly see it. And whoever Allah does not bless with light will have no light!

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allāh has not granted light - for him there is no light.

— Saheeh International

Or (their deeds) are like layers of darkness in a vast deep sea overwhelmed by a wave, above which there is another wave, above which there are clouds - layers of darkness, one above the other. When one puts forth his hand, he can hardly see it; and the one to whom Allah does not give light can have no light at all.

— T. Usmani

Or as darkness on a vast, abysmal sea. There covereth him a wave, above which is a wave, above which is a cloud. Layer upon layer of darkness. When he holdeth out his hand he scarce can see it. And he for whom Allah hath not appointed light, for him there is no light.

— M. Pickthall

Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!

— A. Yusuf Ali

Or [the state of a 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 Allâh has not appointed light, for him there is no light.

— Al-Hilali & Khan 

[Al-Quran Surah Al-Nur, ayat 40]


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water, darkness, stages of creation, links:  

surface of deep sea at night 

https://ocean.si.edu/ecosystems/deep-sea/deep-sea 

https://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/curriculum-collections/deep-sea-vents/light-and-dark-in-the-sea 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quora.com%2FIs-it-pitch-black-in-the-ocean-at-night 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201&version=NIV 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphotic_zone 

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Google translate: 

Urdu = Arabic = English  

 رُوحُ اللهِ = خدا کی روح = Spirit of God 

cross reference Q17:85 


17:85

وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّى وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا ٨٥


They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about the spirit. Say, “Its nature is known only to my Lord, and you ˹O humanity˺ have been given but little knowledge.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

And they ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair [i.e., concern] of my Lord. And you [i.e., mankind] have not been given of knowledge except a little."

— Saheeh International

And they ask you about the soul. Say, “The soul is something from the command of my Lord, and you are not given from the knowledge but a little.”

— T. Usmani

They are asking thee concerning the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little.

— M. Pickthall

They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)"

— A. Yusuf Ali

And they ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) concerning the Rûh (the Spirit); Say: "The Rûh (the Spirit) is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little."

— Al-Hilali & Khan

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Last updated on: September 13, 2024


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