Water in the Quran

Different Issues Relating to Water

Water Issue in the Quran

Quranic Verses relating to water
Life originated in water
Kinds of water in the Quran
Pure water (characteristics of rain water)
Sweet Water
Bitter water

Oceanography in the Quran

Two seas do not mix
Barrier between two oceans of sweet & bitter water
Internal waves and resultant darkness

Water Cycle in the Quran and Formation of Clouds

Water properties

Water in the Quran

In the Qur'an, water is the key element in Creation and is referred to so
frequently- 63 times- that some even speak of the Holy Book's
"obsession" or "bewitchment" with water.
Arabs are so passionate about water and place so much hope in its coming that they
have rightly come to be called "sons of the water of heaven". Among Arab Muslims,
the best you can wish for someone from whom you are seeking a favor is "Allah
give you water". Thinking of days when all is harmony and peace, when the soul
finds serenity, they will describe such days as masqa Allah, "watered by Allah".
According to Dante Caponera, for the Qur'an: "After humanity, water is the most
precious of Allah's creations" and water, in the Holy Book, is in fact at the service of
mankind: "Allah is the One Who has created Heaven and Earth, and sends down
water from the sky. He brings forth produce by means of it as sustenance for you.
He has subjected ships to you so they may sail at sea by His command; and
subjected rivers to you".

The Arabs challenged him to perform miracles that related to water, "We
will never believe in you unless you cause a spring to gush forth from
the earth for us, or have a garden full of date palms and grapevines and
make rivers gush forth plentifully through the midst of them2" (Sura 17,
The Children of Israel, ayat 92-95).

Quranic Verses on Water

SURAH 24, AYAH 45:

Allah has created every animal of water. Of them is (a kind) that goes upon its belly
and (a kind) that goes upon two legs and (a kind) that goes upon four. Allah creates
what He will. Look! Allah is Able to do all things.

SURAH 30, AYAH 48:

48 Allah is He who sends the winds so that they raise clouds, and spreads them along
the sky as pleases Him, and causes them to break and you see the rain down-pouring
from within them. And when He makes it to fall on whom He will of His bondmen,
look! they rejoice;

SURAH 2, AYAH 22:

Who has appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causes
water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not
set up rivals to Allah when you know (better).

SURAH 2, AYAH 164:

Look! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of night and day,
and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water
which Allah sends down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and
dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and (in) the ordinance of the winds, and the
clouds obedient between heaven and earth: are signs (of Allah's sovereignty) for
people who have sense.

Quranic Verses on Water

SURAH 18, AYAH 46:
Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world. But the good deeds
which endure are better in your Lord's sight for reward, and better in respect
of hope.

SURAH 23, AYAH 18:

And We send down from the sky water in measure, and We give it lodging in
the earth, and look! We are able to withdraw it.

SURAH 54, AYAH 12:

And caused the earth to gush forth springs, so that the waters met for a
predestined purpose.

SURAH 67, AYAH 30:

Say: Have you thought: If (all) your water were to disappear into the earth,
who then could bring you gushing water?

SURAH 25, AYAT 47-48:

And He it is Who makes night a covering for you, and sleep repose, and
makes day a resurrection. And He it is Who sends the winds, glad tidings
heralding His mercy, and We send down purifying water from the sky.

Quranic Verses on Water

SURAH 35, AYAH 12:
And two seas are not alike: this, fresh, sweet, food to drink,
this (other) bitter, salt. And from them both you eat fresh meat
and derive the ornament that ye wear. And you see the ship
cleaving them with its prow that you may seek of His bounty,
and that haply you may give thanks.

SURAH 6, AYAH 59:

And with Him are the keys of the invisible. None but He knows them. And
He knows what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falls but He knows it,
not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is
noted) in a clear record.

SURAH 45, AYAH 5:

And the difference of night and day and the provision that Allah sends
down from the sky and thereby quickens the earth after her death, and the
ordering of the winds, are portents for a people who have sense.

Quran on Water and Life

The Quran: (Have not those who disbelieve known that the
heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece,
then We parted them? And We have made from water every
living thing. Will they not then believe?) (21:30)
Modern science affirms clearly that water is the basic component
of life, with which the cell is built. Chemists have proven that
water is a necessary and active substance used in changes and
reactions which occur inside the body. For this reason it is the
only fluid which every living thing needs, no matter how large or
small it may be, starting with micro-organisms to the largest
living animals on earth.
The Water which covers the earth in this day and age is
approximately 71% and the remainder 29% of the earth is
dry land.
The main source for the human and animal body is water, as
well as the plants, as the scientific analysis shows: body of a
human adult from the age of 15 years and upwards contains
approximately 71% of water; a childs body contains 93%
of water, which indicates 80% of water runs through the
human body and the remainder is blood, and as much as
90% water is found in animals and plants.

Kinds of Water in the Quran

The Quran mentions different types of waters according to their degree of purity.
Distilled" water which is rainwater as the pure water and pure/fresh water
The water we drink from rivers/wells is called "sweet" water
The sea water that holds a high percentage of saltiness as "bitter" water.
The Quran about distilled water: And it is He who sends the
winds as good tidings before His mercy, and We send down
from the sky pure water) Furqan, 48.
This verse tackles precisely the specifications that scientists
label now days as "Distilled Water". The water we drink
contains many substances and organisms.
A pure single cup of drinking water carries millions of minute
organisms like bacteria and viruses, and contains mineral
substances like iron, copper, aluminium, sodium, magnesium and
calcium. In addition it also contains organic substances like
carbon, dust and other substances, all included in what we call as
"pure" water.
Scientists have discovered that this water can be purified by
heating it at the boiling point of 100 degrees Centigrade, then
accumulating vapor, condensing it and then cooling it. Scientists
say that the best kind of distilled water is rain water right before it
descends to the ground and mixes with polluted particles in the air.

Characteristics of Rain Water

The rainwater is considered exactly as distilled water, resulting
from the vaporization of the water from the seas and its
condensation in the form of clouds then it descending as rain .
Therefore it is thoroughly pure water.
The rainwater can remove the dirt on the human skin more than the
regular water, thus this water is considered a disinfectant used in
medicine.
It is free from the viruses and bacteria, also possessing the feature of the
absorption of metals, gases and dust particles and any substance that
comes into contact with it on a large scale, therefore it is an antiseptic to
the atmosphere as well. It absorbs from the atmosphere, sulphur and
other substances and minerals such as poisonous lead subsequently the
rainwater's essence is acidic.

Today, the scientists proved that rainwater is capable of renewing

the cells in the body on a larger scale rather than the common
water. As for the energy scientists, they confirm that the rainwater
possesses bigger quantities of energy, thus positively reflecting on
the psychological state of the human.
It is not strange that we find the Qur'an mentioning these characteristics
clearly in the following verse: (Remember, when He overwhelmed you
with drowsiness [giving] security from Him and sent down upon you
from the sky, rain by which to purify you and remove from you the evil
[suggestions] of Satan and to make steadfast your hearts and plant
firmly thereby your feet.) Al-Anfal, 11.

Rain Water in due proportion

In the eleventh verse of Surat az-Zukhruf,
rain is defined as water sent down in "due
measure". The verse is as follows:
He sends down (from time to time) water from the
sky in due measure, and We raise to life therewith
a land that is dead. Even so will you be raised
(from the dead). (Surat az-Zukhruf, 11)

This "measure" mentioned in the verse has to

do with a couple of characteristics of rain.
First of all, the amount of rain that falls on
the earth is always the same. It is estimated,
that in one second, 16 million tonnes of water
evaporate from the earth. This number is
equal to the amount of water that drops on
the earth in one second. This means that
water continuously circulates in a balanced
cycle according to a "measure"

 Another measure is about its falling speed. The minimum altitude of rain
clouds is 1,200 meters. When dropped from this height, an object having the
same weight and size as a rain drop, would continuously accelerate and fall
on the ground with a speed of 558 km/h, causing great damage to all
harvested lands, residential areas, houses, and cars, and people would not be
able to walk around without taking extra precautions. What is more, these
calculations are made just for clouds at a height of 1,200 meters; there are
also rain clouds at altitudes of 10,000 meters which could have made much
havoc to everything it encounters.
But the fact is different; the average speed of rain drops is only 8-10 km/h
when they reach the ground. The reason for this is the special form they take
which increases the friction effect of the atmosphere and prevents
acceleration when the rain drops reach a certain speed "limit".

(Today parachutes are designed by using this technique.)

This is not all about the "measures" of rain. For instance, in the
atmospheric layers where it starts to rain, the temperature may fall as low
as 400 C below zero. Despite this, rain drops never turn into ice
particles. (This would certainly mean a fatal threat to the living things on
the earth.) The reason is that the water in the atmosphere is pure water.
As is well-known, pure water hardly freezes even at very low
temperatures.

Kinds of Water in the Quran

The Quran about Sweet Water: (and We gave therein lofty firmly set mountains
have given you to drink sweet water.) Al-Mursalat, 77:27.
The water we drink from the top of high mountains, the rivers,
springs and wells is called Sweet Water as it contains quantity of
the minerals like iron that causing the water to taste sweet. This
definition suits the expression "Furatan"/sweet. While the
descending water from the sky is distilled water which possesses
the characteristics of sterilization and cleansing and carries not
taste! Therefore the Divine described it as "Tahura". So is there
repetition in the Quran or is it a miracle?
The water as it descends from the sky is pure but when it mixes
with the minerals and salts present in the land and become
"Furatan"/sweet. This is why the Qur'an mentions two different
terms from the rain water and river waters (tahur and furat).
This is again due to the fact that the water of the sweet river
contains many of the solved metals (minerals) in it, Exalted
Allah says: (And not alike are the two bodies of water. One is
fresh and sweet, palatable for drinking, and one is salty and
bitter.) Fater,12.

Sweet Water and its sources:

According to 77:27-28, Allah mentioned that
high mountains and ground water are the
biggest suppliers of sweet water. The icebergs
on the top of the mountains are the biggest
source of sweet water is a fact discovered
recently by the scientists, but indicated 1500
years ago in the Quran.
According to the modern science:
While 67% of Earths surface is covered by water,
only less than 2.7% of global water is freshwater.
Most of the freshwater (2.05%) are locked in ice
caps and glaciers. Only less than 0.7% is available
for human use.
Over two thirds of the earth's surface is covered
with water, 97.2% of which is contained in the five
oceans. The Antarctic ice sheet, containing 90% of
all fresh water on the planet, is visible at the
bottom. Atmospheric water vapor can be seen as
clouds, contributing to the earth's albedo.

Volume of water stored in

the water cycle's reservoirs
Reservoir

Volume of water
(106 km)

Percent
of total

Ocean

1370

97.25

Ice caps/sheets on
mountains & glaciers

29

2.05

Groundwater

9.5

0.68

Lakes

0.125

0.01

Soil Moisture

0.065

0.005

Atmosphere

0.013

0.001

Streams & rivers

0.0017

0.0001

Biosphere

0.0006

0.00004

When comparing the percentage of fresh water among its sources, we see how the
tops of mountains reserve the biggest storage.....

Kinds of Water in the Quran

The Quran about Bitter Water: (And not alike are the two bodies of water. One
is fresh and sweet, palatable for drinking, and one is salty and bitter.) Fater, 12.
We wonder why Allah it associated each kind with two attributes,
"Fresh and Sweet"-"Salty and Bitter". We know that river water is
"fresh", why did Allah add another attribute "sweet"? Where as
Sea water Allah described it as "Salty" but why did He assign to it
another attribute "Bitter"? At the same time Allah assigned Rain
water just one attribute "Pure"? Yes, this is because the rainwater
as we saw earlier is pure, distilled and has neither taste nor smell,
thus a single attribute suffices it.
The sea water is the "bitter" water. In the language the verb "Ujaj"
means exceeded the limit, and this is what we find in sea water
which maintains saltiness that exceeds the normal limit. Therefore
Allah has described sea water as (Salty/Bitter) because the word
(salty) is not enough as a description, but the fresh water does
contain some salts but we dont sense there presence!!

Thus in the Quranic description of Sea water we find the word "Ujaj"/Bitter which describes
the excessive salt present in it. The Quran does not assign saltiness as an attribute on its own,
it doesnt "This is salty" only, but on the contrary, it mentions "It is salty and bitter". From a
scientific point of view if we say that the water contains salts then this is ludicrous because
all water types contain salts with varying degrees, therefore it is a must to describe the degree
of saltiness, and this precisely is what the Quran did.

Water Cycle in the Quran

Water Cycle in the Quran

Two specialists on this subject, G. Gastany and B. Blavoux, in their
entry in the Encyclopedia Universalis under the heading
Hydrogeology, give an edifying history of this problem.
In the 7th century CE, Thales of Miletus held the theory whereby the
waters of the oceans, under the effect of winds, were thrust towards
the interior of the continents; so the water fell upon the earth and
penetrated into the soil. Plato shared these views and thought that the
return of the waters to the oceans was via a great abyss, the Tartarus.
Until the 18th century CE, this theory had many supporters, one of
whom was Descartes. Aristotle imagined that the water vapour from
the soil condensed in cool mountain caverns and formed underground
lakes that fed springs. He was followed by Seneca (1st century CE) and
many others, until 1877 CE, among them O. Volger
The first clear formulation of the water cycle must be attributed to
Bernard Palissy in 1580 CE. He claimed that underground water came
from rainwater infiltrating into the soil. This theory was confirmed by
E. Mariotte and P. Perrault in the 17th century CE.

Water Cycle in the Quran

Two specialists on this subject, G. Gastany and B. Blavoux, in their
entry in the Encyclopedia Universalis under the heading
Hydrogeology, give an edifying history of this problem.
In the 7th century CE, Thales of Miletus held the theory whereby the
waters of the oceans, under the effect of winds, were thrust towards
the interior of the continents; so the water fell upon the earth and
penetrated into the soil. Plato shared these views and thought that the
return of the waters to the oceans was via a great abyss, the Tartarus.
Until the 18th century CE, this theory had many supporters, one of
whom was Descartes. Aristotle imagined that the water vapour from
the soil condensed in cool mountain caverns and formed underground
lakes that fed springs. He was followed by Seneca (1st century CE) and
many others, until 1877 CE, among them O. Volger
The first clear formulation of the water cycle must be attributed to
Bernard Palissy in 1580 CE. He claimed that underground water came
from rainwater infiltrating into the soil. This theory was confirmed by
E. Mariotte and P. Perrault in the 17th century CE.

Water Cycle in the Quran

The Qur'an told us in a scientific way about all related facts to the water
cycle and descending of rains. Let us look attentively at these holy verses
which speak about every part of the water cycle.
1. The sun is the driver of the aquatic cycle, Allah says :( And we have made
(therein) a shining lamp (sun).) (Srat An-Naba-verse13). Sun spreads the
necessary heat and light to evaporate water and to form winds.
2. Winds are the second driver of the aquatic cycle, Allah says :( And We send
the winds fertilizing (to fill heavily the clouds with water), then cause the
water (rain) to descend from the sky, and We give it to you to drink, and it is
not you who are the owners of its stores [i.e. to give water to whom you like
or to withhold it from whom you like].) (Srat A-Hijr- verse 22).
3. Water which descends from the clouds is stored in the ground for hundreds
of years without being spoiled ,taking into consideration that anyone may
store the water for only couple of days it will spoil; Allah says:( it is not you
who are the owners of its stores) ( Srat A-Hijr- verse 22).
4. After evaporation of water it condenses in the sky in form of clouds, then
winds fertilize the clouds, Allah says :( And we send the winds fertilizing)
(Srat A-Hijr- verse 22).

Water Cycle in the Quran

5.

6.

The Qur'an told us about the high heavy clouds which are responsible for
rains and ice, Allah says: (See you not that Allah drives the clouds gently,
then joins them together, then makes them into a heap of layers, and you see
the rain comes forth from between them; and He sends down from the sky
hail (like) mountains, (or there are in the heaven mountains of hail from
where He sends down hail), and strikes therewith whom He wills, and averts
it from whom He wills. The vivid flash of its (clouds) lightning nearly
blinds the sight)(Srat An-Nr-verse43)
The water" which descends" is stored inside the ground in form of sweet
springs to enable life to continue, Allah says: (See you not that Allah sends
down water (rain) from the sky, and causes it to penetrate the earth, (and
then makes it to spring up) as water-springs, and afterward thereby produces
crops of different colors, and afterward they wither and you see them turn
yellow; then He makes them dry and broken pieces. Verily, in this is a
Reminder for men of understanding.)(Srat Az-Zumar-verse21). If these
crops are not transferred to the yellow to be dry and broken pieces and if it
remained Green, the cycle of plant wouldn't be renewed and we wouldn't get
benefit from those broken pieces which transfer to be oil over hundreds of
yeas.

Water Cycle in the Quran

7.

Scientists say that all of these operations are according to very organized
and constant physical laws, Allah says: (And we sent down from the sky
water (rain) in (due) measure and we gave it lodging in the earth, and verily,
we are Able to take it away.) (Srat Al-Muminn-verse18). Look at the
word "in due" which refers to discipline and arrangement.
8. The most important part in this cycle, what is happening at the area which is
called the mouth (where rivers flow in seas), Qur'an says: (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.)(Srat Al-Furqn-verse 53) .Unless Rivers are flowing in
seas, those seas would be drought. That what happened in the Aral Sea
which was supplying by two rivers and because of a human interruption by
stopping that supplying, the sea became empty.
9. Scientists say that mountains have a vital role in the descending of rains,
forming the clouds and in water purification. Allah says: (And have placed
therein firm, and tall mountains, and have given you to drink sweet water?)
(Srat Al-Mursalt- verse 27). In this verse a clear link between the
mountains and the sweet water.
10. Watch this!

Formation of Clouds in the Quran

Scientists have studied cloud types and have
realized that rain clouds are formed and shaped
according to definite systems and certain steps
connected with certain types of wind and clouds.
One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud.
Meteorologists have studied how cumulonimbus
clouds are formed and how they produce rain,
hail, and lightning.
They have found that cumulonimbus clouds go
through the following steps to produce rain:

Watch This

1. The clouds are pushed by the wind

1) The clouds are pushed by the wind: Cumulonimbus clouds begin
to form when wind pushes some small pieces of clouds (cumulus
clouds) to an area where these clouds converge.

Satellite photo showing the clouds moving

towards the convergence areas B, C, D. The
arrows indicate the directions of the wind.

Small pieces of clouds (cumulus clouds)

moving towards a convergence zone near the
horizon, where we can see a large
cumulonimbus cloud.

2. Joining of the small clouds into larger

2) Joining: Then the small clouds join together forming a larger cloud.

(A) Isolated small pieces of clouds (cumulus clouds). (B) When the small clouds join
together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase, so the cloud is stacked up. Water
drops are indicated by .

3. Stacking of the Clouds

3) Stacking: When the small clouds join together,
updrafts within the larger cloud increase. The
updrafts near the center of the cloud are stronger
than those near the edges. These updrafts cause the
cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud is
stacked up (see figures 19 (B), 20, and 21). This
vertical growth causes the cloud body to stretch
into cooler regions of the atmosphere, where drops
of water and hail formulate and begin to grow
larger and larger. When these drops of water and
hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support
them, they begin to fall from the cloud as rain,
hail, etc.

A cumulonimbus cloud. After the cloud is

stacked up, rain comes out of it.

A cumulonimbus cloud.

Quran and the Formation of Clouds

Allah has said in the Quran:
Have you not seen how God makes the
clouds move gently, then joins them together,
then makes them into a stack, and then you
see the rain come out of it.... (Quran, 24:43)
Meteorologists have only recently come to
know these details of cloud formation,
structure, and function by using advanced
equipment like planes, satellites, computers,
balloons, and other equipment, to study wind
and its direction, to measure humidity and its
variations, and to determine the levels and
variations of atmospheric pressure.

Quran and Hail and Lightning

The preceding verse, after mentioning clouds and
rain, speaks about hail and lightning:
....And He sends down hail from mountains
(clouds) in the sky, and He strikes with it
whomever He wills, and turns it from
whomever He wills. The vivid flash of its
lightning nearly blinds the sight. (Quran,
24:43)
Meteorologists have found that these
cumulonimbus clouds, that shower hail, reach a
height of 25,000 to 30,000 ft (4.7 to 5.7 miles),
like mountains, as the Quran said, ...And He
sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in
the sky...

According to this verse, hail is the major factor in producing

lightning. In the book, Meteorology Today, it is said: a cloud becomes
electrified as hail falls through a region in the cloud of super-cooled
droplets and ice crystals. As liquid droplets collide with a hailstone,
they freeze on contact and release latent heat. This keeps the surface
of the hailstone warmer than that of the surrounding ice crystals.
When the hailstone comes in contact with an ice crystal, an important
phenomenon occurs: electrons flow from the colder object toward the
warmer object. Hence, the hailstone becomes negatively charged.
The same effect occurs when super-cooled droplets come in contact
with a hailstone and tiny splinters of positively charged ice break off.
These lighter positively charged particles are then carried to the upper
part of the cloud by updrafts. The hail, left with a negative charge,
falls towards the bottom of the cloud, thus the lower part of the cloud
becomes negatively charged. These negative charges are then
discharged as lightning.6 We conclude from this that hail is the major
factor in producing lightning.

 This information on lightning was discovered

recently. Until 1600 AD, Aristotles ideas on
meteorology were dominant. For example, he
said that the atmosphere contains two kinds of
exhalation, moist and dry. He also said that
thunder is the sound of the collision of the dry
exhalation with the neighboring clouds, and
lightning is the inflaming and burning of the dry
exhalation with a thin and faint fire. These are
some of the ideas on meteorology that were
dominant at the time of the Qurans revelation,
fifteen centuries ago.

Oceanography in the Quran

1. The Quranic information about oceanology/ oceanography is
.folds:
1. Seas do not mix and mingle
2. Barrier Between Sweet and Salt Waters
3. Internal Waves and Darkness in the Depths of the Ocean

The Quran on Seas and Rivers:

They do not mix
Although there are large waves, strong
currents, and tides in these seas, they do
not mix or transgress this barrier.
The Holy Quran mentioned that there is a
barrier between two seas that meet and
that they do not transgress. Allah has
said:
He has set free the two seas meeting
together. There is a barrier between
them. They do not transgress. (Quran,
55:19-20)

 Modern Science has discovered that in the places

where two different seas meet, there is a barrier
between them. This barrier divides the two seas so
that each sea has its own temperature, salinity, and
density. For example, Mediterranean sea water is
warm, saline, and less dense, compared to Atlantic
ocean water. When Mediterranean sea water enters
the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill, it moves several
hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth of
about 1000 meters with its own warm, saline, and
less dense characteristics. The Mediterranean water
stabilizes at this depth.

The Mediterranean sea water as it enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill
with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics, because of the
barrier that distinguishes between them. Temperatures are in degrees Celsius
(C). (Marine Geology, Kuenen, p. 43, with a slight enhancement.) (Click on
the image to enlarge it.)

The Quran on Seas and Rivers:

Barrier between Sweet & Salt water
The Quran mentions that when two seas, one is sweet and
the other is salt, meet together, there remains forbidden
divider between these two. But when the Quran speaks
about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions
the existence of a forbidding partition with the barrier.
Allah has said in the Quran:
He is the one who has set free the two kinds of
water, one sweet and palatable, and the other salty
and bitter. And He has made between them a
barrier and a forbidding partition. (Quran, 25:53)
One may ask, why did the Quran mention the partition
when speaking about the divider between fresh and salt
water, but did not mention it when speaking about the
divider between the two seas?

 Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh

(sweet) and salt water meet, the situation is somewhat
different from what is found in places where two seas meet.
It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water
from salt water in estuaries is a pycnocline zone with a
marked density discontinuity separating the two layers.
This partition (zone of separation) has a different salinity
from the fresh water and from the salt water.
This information has been discovered only recently, using
advanced equipment to measure temperature, salinity,
density, oxygen dissolubility, etc. The human eye cannot
see the difference between the two seas that meet, rather the
two seas appear to us as one homogeneous sea. Likewise,
the human eye cannot see the division of water in estuaries
into the three kinds: fresh water, salt water, and the partition
(zone of separation).

Longitudinal section showing salinity (parts per thousand ) in an estuary.

We can see here the partition (zone of separation) between the fresh and the
salt water. (Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, p. 301, with a slight
enhancement.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

Internal Waves and Darkness in the

Depths of the Ocean
1. History of the invention of diving apparatus:
In 1300 AD, pearls divers used the first protective spectacles made of turtle
shell.
In 1860 AD creatures were discovered at the bottom of the Mediterranean by
using an iron cable.
In 1865 AD Rouquayrol and Denayrouze invented independent diving apparatus.
In 1893 AD Butan was able to take photos under water.
In 1920 AD the echo sounding method was used to measure the depths.
In 1930 AD Otis Barton and William Beebe were able to dive in the first
bathysphere to the depth of 3028 feet. (Masks, fins and respiratory tubes were
invented then.)
In 1938 AD Cousteau and Emile Gagnan carried out successful tests on a system
known as Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA).
In 1958 AD Experiments were carried out on the depth submersible (the Sixties)
and respiratory gills for breathing under water were invented.
Man managed to dive to the deepest area in Pacific Ocean, was able to stay in
the deep for several days and discovered vents there and manufactured the
yellow submarine and nuclear ones.

 Study of marine sciences and sea depths started practically after the
eighteenth century, when appropriate instruments and techniques and
later advanced submarines were invented. After 1958, man arrived at
wonderful findings, such as the following:
Sea divides into two major parts:

The surface sea that is penetrated by the solar energy and light.
The deep sea where the solar energy and light are non-existent

The deep sea and surface sea differ in temperature, density, pressure,
the amount of sun light and the creatures living in each of them.
They are separated by internal waves.
Sea internal waves:

Internal waves cover the deep sea and serve as a boundary between the deep
sea and the surface sea. Surface waves cover the sea surface and serve as a
boundary between water and air. Internal waves were discovered in 1904. The
lengths of internal waves range from tens to hundreds of kilometers. Their
height ranges from 10 meters and 100 meters.
The deeper the sea the darker it becomes till it gets as dark as pitch from the
depth of about (200) meters. At this depth there starts the thermocline that
separates the warm surface waters from the cold waters of the deep. In it we
find the internal waves that cover the cold water in the depth of the sea. Light
disappears completely at the depth of 1000 meters.

 The darkness in the Ocean gets greater

mainly because of two reasons:
2) The darkness of the colors of sunlight:
Sunlight consists of seven colors (red, orange,
yellow, green, indigo, violet and blue). Each
color has its own wavelength.
The penetration of light ray into water depends
on its wavelength; the shorter the wavelength
the deeper the light ray penetrates. The red
color is absorbed at about 20 meters causing
the darkness of the red color. Thus an injured
diver at about 25 meters would see his blood
black because of the absence of the red color
of the light. At about 30 meters the orange
light is absorbed causing the darkness of the
orange color. At the depth of about 50 meters
the yellow light is absorbed; at the depth of
about 100 meters the green color is absorbed;
at the depth of about 125 meters the violet and
indigo colors are absorbed. The last color to be
absorbed is the blue color at about 200 meters
deep. Thus several layers of darkness of the
colors of sunlight top one another because of
the depth of water where colors are
successively absorbed at different depths.

Between 3 and 30 percent of the sunlight is reflected

at the sea surface. Then almost all of the seven
colors of the light spectrum are absorbed one after
another in the first 200 meters, except the blue light.
(Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27.)

2) The barrier darkness:

The barrier darkness along with the

color darkness contributes to the deep darkness in the deep sea.
There are three types of barrier darkness:
a) The cloud darkness: The surfaces of deep seas are often covered
with clouds as a result of evaporation. Clouds partially obstruct
sunlight and cause the first barrier darkness that is seen as
shadow of these clouds on the earth and sea surface.
b) The darkness of surface waves: Long, narrow sea surface slicks
associated with internal waves are common features of exposed
coastal environments. Such slicks, which may be accompanied
by foam or debris, also have been shown to be associated with
high concentrations of many types of planktonic organisms
c) The darkness of internal waves: Internal waves cover deep sea
at the depth from 70 meters to 240 meters. Millions of millions
of organisms are suspended on the surfaces of internal waves.
An internal wave may extend to the sea surface where these
organisms appear as dirt gathering together on the sea surface,
which makes them along with the inclination of the internal
waves an obstacle to prevent light from penetrating into the
deep sea. Thus a third layer of darkness occurs.
Scientists have recently discovered that there are internal waves
which occur on density interfaces between layers of different
densities.
Living organisms and fish that live in them depend on chemical
energy to produce light with which to find their way. Some
species are blind and use means other than sight to sense their
Fishes at this depth where there is complete
surroundings.
darkness use there own light

Satellite image of internal waves

Internal waves at interface between two layers of

water of different densities. One is dense (the
lower one), the other one is less dense (the upper
one).

The Quran and Internal Waves and

Darkness in the Depths of the Ocean
1. The Quran says about the Internal waves and resultant darkness in the following
sentence: Or (the unbelievers state) is like the layers of darkness in a deep sea covered by
waves topped by waves, topped by clouds: Layers of darkness, one above another. If a man
stretches his hand, he can hardly see it. For any to whom Allah gives no light, there is no
light. (Quran 24: 40)
The Quran informs us of the existence of internal waves in the seas, a fact unknown to people
before 1900 AD.
Professor Rao was asked his opinion on the phenomenon of the scientific miracles in the Quran
of the facts fourteen centuries ago, he said: It is difficult to imagine that this type of knowledge
existed at that time around 1400 years back. Maybe some of the things they had simple ideas
about, but to describe those things in great detail is very difficult. So, this is definitely not a simple
human knowledge. A normal human being cannot explain this phenomenon in that much detail.
So, I thought the information must have come from a supernatural source.

Properties of Water:
Miracles of Allah

Polar molecule
Cohesion and adhesion
High specific heat
Density greatest at 4oC
Universal solvent of life

Polarity of Water
In a water molecule two hydrogen atoms form
single polar covalent bonds with an oxygen
atom. Gives water more structure than other
liquids
Because oxygen is more electronegative, the region
around oxygen has a partial negative charge.
The region near the two hydrogen atoms has a
partial positive charge.

A water molecule is a polar molecule with

opposite ends of the molecule with opposite
charges.

 Water has a variety of unusual properties

because of attractions between these polar
molecules.
The slightly negative regions of one molecule are
attracted to the slightly positive regions of nearby
molecules, forming a hydrogen bond.
Each water molecule
can form hydrogen
bonds with up to
four neighbors.

Fig.3.1

HYDROGEN BONDS
Hold water molecules
together
Each water molecule can
form a maximum of 4
hydrogen bonds
The hydrogen bonds
joining water molecules
are weak, about 1/20th as
strong as covalent bonds.
They form, break, and
reform with great
frequency

Extraordinary Properties
that are a result of hydrogen
bonds.
Cohesive behavior
Resists changes in
temperature
High heat of vaporization
Expands when it freezes
Versatile solvent

Organisms Depend on Cohesion

Hydrogen bonds hold the substance
together, a phenomenon called cohesion
Cohesion is responsible for the
transport of the water column in
plants
Cohesion among water molecules
plays a key role in the transport of
water against gravity in plants
Adhesion, clinging
of one substance to
another, contributes
too, as water adheres
to the wall of the
vessels.

 Surface tension, a measure of the force

necessary to stretch or break the surface of a
liquid, is related to cohesion.
Water has a greater surface tension than most other
liquids because hydrogen bonds among surface
water molecules resist stretching or breaking the
surface.
Water behaves as if
covered by an invisible
film.
Some animals can stand,
walk, or run on water
without breaking the
Fig.3.3
surface.

Moderates Temperatures on Earth

Water stabilizes air temperatures by absorbing heat from

warmer air and releasing heat to cooler air.
Water can absorb or release relatively large amounts of heat
with only a slight change in its own temperature.
Celsius Scale at Sea Level
100oC

Water boils

37oC
23oC

Human body
temperature
Room temperature

0oC

Water freezes

What is kinetic energy?

Heat?
Temperature?
Calorie?
What is the difference
in cal and Cal?
What is specific heat?

Specific Heat is the amount of heat that must be

absorbed or lost for one gram of a substance to
change its temperature by 1oC.
Three-fourths of the earth is covered
by water. The water serves as a
large heat sink responsible for:
1. Prevention of temperature
fluctuations that are outside the
range suitable for life.
2. Coastal areas having a mild
climate
3. A stable marine environment

Evaporative Cooling
The cooling of a
surface occurs when
the liquid evaporates
This is responsible for:
Moderating earths
climate
Stabilizes
temperature in
aquatic ecosystems
Preventing organisms
from overheating

Density of Water
Most dense at 4oC
Contracts until 4oC
Expands from 4oC to
0oC
The density of water:
1. Prevents water from freezing from the bottom up.
2. Ice forms on the surface firstthe freezing of the
water releases heat to the water below creating
insulation.
3. Makes transition between season less abrupt.

 When water reaches 0oC, water becomes locked into

a crystalline lattice with each molecule bonded to to
the maximum of four partners.
As ice starts to melt, some of the hydrogen bonds
break and some water molecules can slip closer
together than they can while in the ice state.
Ice is about 10% less dense than water at 4oC.

Fig.3.5

Solvent for Life

Solution
Solute
solvent

Aqueous solution
Hydrophilic
Ionic compounds
dissolve in water
Polar molecules
(generally) are water
soluble

Hydrophobic
Nonpolar compounds

Most biochemical reactions

involve solutes dissolved in water.
There are two important
quantitative proprieties of aqueous
solutions.
1. Concentration
2. pH

Concentration of a Solution
Molecular weight sum of the weights of all atoms in
a molecule (daltons)
Mole amount of a substance that has a mass in
grams numerically equivalent to its molecular weight
in daltons.
Avogadros number 6.02 X 1023
A mole of one substance has the same number of molecules
as a mole of any other substance.

Molarity
The concentration of a material in solution is called its molarity.
A one molar solution has one mole of a substance dissolved in
one liter of solvent, typically water.

Calculate a one molar solution of sucrose, C12H22O16.

C = 12 daltons

12 x12 = 144

H = 1 dalton

1 x 22 = 22

O = 16 daltons

16 x 11 = 176

For a 2M solution?

342

For a .05 M solution?

For a .2 M solution?

Dissociation of Water Molecules

Occasionally, a hydrogen atom shared by two
water molecules shifts from one molecule to the
other.
The hydrogen atom leaves its electron behind and is
transferred as a single proton - a hydrogen ion (H+).
The water molecule that lost a proton is now a
hydroxide ion (OH-).
The water
molecule with
the extra proton
is a hydronium
UnnumberedFig.3.47
+
ion (H3O ).

 A simpler way to view this process is that a

water molecule dissociates into a hydrogen
ion and a hydroxide ion:
H2O <=> H+ + OH This reaction is reversible.
At equilibrium the concentration of water
molecules greatly exceeds that of H+ and
OH-.
In pure water only one water molecule in
every 554 million is dissociated.
At equilibrium, the concentration of H +
or OH- is 10-7M (25C) .

Acids and Bases

An acid is a substance that
increases the hydrogen ion
concentration in a solution.
Any substance that reduces the
hydrogen ion concentration in a
solution is a base.
Some bases reduce H+ directly by
accepting hydrogen ions.

Strong acids and bases complete

dissociate in water.
Weak acids and bases dissociate
only partially and reversibly.

pH Scale
The pH scale in any aqueous solution :
[ H+ ] [OH-] = 10-14

Measures the degree of acidity (0 14)

Most biologic fluids are in the pH range
from 6 8
Each pH unit represents a tenfold
difference (scale is logarithmic)
A small change in pH actually indicates a
substantial change in H+ and OHconcentrations.

Problem
How much greater is the [ H+ ] in a
solution with pH 2 than in a solution with
pH 6?
Answer:
pH of 2 = [ H+ ] of 1.0 x 10-2 = 1/100 M
pH of 6 = [ H+ ] of 1.0 x 10-6 = 1/1,000,000 M
10,000 times greater

Buffers
A substance that eliminates large sudden
changes in pH.
Buffers help organisms maintain the pH of
body fluids within the narrow range necessary
for life.
Are combinations of H+ acceptors and
donors forms in a solution of weak acids or
bases
Work by accepting H+ from solutions when
they are in excess and by donating H + when
they have been depleted.

Acid Precipitation
Rain, snow or fog with more strongly acidic than
pH of 5.6
West Virginia has recorded 1.5
East Tennessee reported 4.2 in 2000
Occurs when sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides
react with water in the atmosphere
Lowers pH of soil which affects mineral
solubility decline of forests
Lower pH of lakes and ponds In the
Western Adirondack Mountains, there are
lakes with a pH <5 that have no fish.

Now the question is?

Who created water with all the
properties it has inherently within?
It is Allah who created the water
and its inherent properties