Surah 55

Surah 55:22

"Pearl and coral come forth from both of them."
The Creation of Humans and Jinns / Allah is the Lord of the Two Easts and the Two Wests / Allah created Different Types of Water Verses 55:14-25
Show Full Scripture Context (55:14-25) — 12 Verses
Verse 14

خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِن صَلۡصَٰلٖ كَٱلۡفَخَّارِ

He created the human from clay like pottery,

Verse 15

وَخَلَقَ ٱلۡجَآنَّ مِن مَّارِجٖ مِّن نَّارٖ

and He created the jinn from a mixture of fire.

Verse 16

فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Which of the blessings of your Lord will you two call a lie?

Verse 17

رَبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقَيۡنِ وَرَبُّ ٱلۡمَغۡرِبَيۡنِ

Lord of the two Easts, Lord of the two Wests.

Verse 18

فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Which of the blessings of your Lord will you two call a lie?

Verse 19

مَرَجَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَيۡنِ يَلۡتَقِيَانِ

He let loose the two seas (which) meet.

Verse 20

بَيۡنَهُمَا بَرۡزَخٞ لَّا يَبۡغِيَانِ

Between them (there is) a barrier (which) they do not seek (to cross).

Verse 21

فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Which of the blessings of your Lord will you two call a lie?

Verse 22

يَخۡرُجُ مِنۡهُمَا ٱللُّؤۡلُؤُ وَٱلۡمَرۡجَانُ

Pearl and coral come forth from both of them.

Verse 23

فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Which of the blessings of your Lord will you two call a lie?

Verse 24

وَلَهُ ٱلۡجَوَارِ ٱلۡمُنشَـَٔاتُ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ كَٱلۡأَعۡلَٰمِ

His are the (ships) running, raised up on the sea like landmarks.

Verse 25

فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Which of the blessings of your Lord will you two call a lie?

The Creation of Humans and Jinns

Allah mentions that He created mankind from clay, like that used in pottery, and created the Jinns from the tip of the flame of a smokeless fire. This was said by Ad-Dahhak from Ibn 'Abbas. It was also said by 'Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Ibn Zayd. Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbas, "From the best part of the fire, from its smokeless flame." Imam Ahmad recorded that 'A'ishah said that Allah's Messenger said,

"The angels were created from light, the Jinns from a smokeless flame of fire, and 'Adam from what was described to you."

Muslim also collected this Hadith. Allah's statement:

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny?
was explained above.

Allah is the Lord of the Two Easts and the Two Wests

Allah said,

(He is) the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests.

meaning the sunrise of summer and winter and the sunset of summer and winter. Allah said in another Ayah,

So, I swear by the Lord of all the points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west.,

referring to the different places from which the sun rises and then sets on people every day. Allah said in another Ayah,

The Lord of the east and the west; none has the right to be worshipped but He. So take Him alone as a trustee.,

referring to the different places of sunrise and sunset and the benefits that this variation brings to the created, mankind and Jinns,

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny?

Allah created Different Types of Water

Allah said,

He has Maraja the two seas, or let them loose, according to Ibn 'Abbas. Allah's statement,

meeting together. Ibn Zayd said, "He prevents them from meeting by the dividing barrier He placed between them to separate them." The two seas are the fresh and salty waters, the former coming from running rivers. We discussed this topic in Surat Al-Furqan when explaining Allah's statement;

And it is He Who has let free the two seas: one palatable and sweet, and the other salty and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.

Allah said,

Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.

meaning, He has placed a barrier of land between these two types of waters, so that they do not transgress upon each other, which would spoil the characteristics they were created with.

Allah said,

Out of them both come out pearls and Al-Marjan.

pearls are well-known. As for Marjan they say it means small pearls. Mujahid, Qatadah, Abu Ruzayn, Ad-Dahhak said it, and it has also been reported from 'Ali. It was also said that it means large, precious pearls, this was mentioned by Ibn Jarir from some of the Salaf.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn 'Abbas who said, "When it rains, the oysters in the sea open their mouths. What falls in them, the drops, turns into pearls." Its chain of narrators is Sahih.

Since this type of adornment is a favor from Allah to the people of earth, He reminded them of it,

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny?

Allah said,

And His are Al-Jawar Al-Munsha'at, meaning the ships that float,

in the seas, Mujahid said, "Whatever ship hoists a sail, it is from Munsha'at, if it does not hoist a sail, it is not from the Munsha'at."

Qatadah said, "Al-Munsha'at means created." Others said that it is Al-Munshi'at meaning, "launched."

like A'lam. This means, they are like mountains with their great size, and it also refers to the trade and commercial services they make possible, transporting cargo from one area to another and from one province to another. Ships provide various benefits for people, including transporting different types of goods they need. Therefore,

Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny?

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 9, Page 382-385)

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.