Surah 35

Surah 35:12

"The two seas are not alike: this one is sweet, fresh, good to drink, and this (other) one is salty (and) bitter. Yet from each you eat fresh fish, and bring out of it an ornament which you wear, and you see the ship cutting through it, so that you may seek some of His favor, and that you may be thankful."
The Blessings and Signs of Allah Verses 35:12
Show Full Scripture Context (35:12) — 1 Verse
Verse 12

وَمَا يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡبَحۡرَانِ هَٰذَا عَذۡبٞ فُرَاتٞ سَآئِغٞ شَرَابُهُۥ وَهَٰذَا مِلۡحٌ أُجَاجٞۖ وَمِن كُلّٖ تَأۡكُلُونَ لَحۡمٗا طَرِيّٗا وَتَسۡتَخۡرِجُونَ حِلۡيَةٗ تَلۡبَسُونَهَاۖ وَتَرَى ٱلۡفُلۡكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ

The two seas are not alike: this one is sweet, fresh, good to drink, and this (other) one is salty (and) bitter. Yet from each you eat fresh fish, and bring out of it an ornament which you wear, and you see the ship cutting through it, so that you may seek some of His favor, and that you may be thankful.

Allah says, pointing out His mighty power in creating different things, how He has created the two seas (kinds of water). The fresh, palatable sea (kind of water) refers to the rivers which flow among people, rivers great and small according to people’s needs in all regions and areas and lands. This water is sweet and palatable for whoever wants to drink it.

{and that is salty and bitter.} means, unpalatable. This is the ocean in which the big ships sail, and is salty and undrinkable. Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"and that is salty and bittery ."

Then Allah says:
{And from them both you eat fresh tender meat,} meaning, fish.

{and derive the ornaments that you wear.} This is like the Ayah:
{Out of them both come out pearl and coral. Tlten which of the blessings of your Lord will you both (Jinn and men) deny?} ( 55 : 22 - 23 ).

{And you see the ships cleaving,} means, they travel through it, plowing through the water with their beak- shaped bows. Mujahid said, “The wind drives the ships, and the wind cannot drive any ships except the big ones.
{that you may seek of His bounty,} means, through your journeys to engage in trade from one land to another.

{and that you may give thanks .} means, that you may give thanks to your Lord for subjugating this mighty creation - the sea - to you, so that you can travel through it as you wish and go wherever you want, and nothing stops you; His power has subjugated for you whatever is in the heavens and on earth, and all of this is by His grace and mercy.

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.