Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Kahf Verse 61

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So, when they reached the meeting point of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it made its way into the sea as in a tunnel.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

But when they ˹finally˺ reached the point where the seas met, they forgot their ˹salted˺ fish, and it made its way into the sea, slipping away ˹wondrously˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, which made its way into the sea, slipping away.

A. J. Arberry

Then, when they reached their meeting, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the sea, burrowing.

Abdul Haleem

but when they reached the place where the two seas meet, they had forgotten all about their fish, which made its way into the sea and swam away.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And when the twain reached the confluence of the two, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the sea freely.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But when they reached the Junction, they forgot (about) their Fish, which took its course through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel.

Abul Ala Maududi

But when they reached the point where the two rivers meet, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the sea, as if through a tunnel.

Ahmed Ali

When they reached the confluence they forgot the fish (they had brought as food) which swiftly made its way into the sea.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when they reached the place where the two seas meet, they forgot about their fish, and it took its way into the sea, making a tunnel. (The dead fish came alive and went into the water.)

Ali Quli Qarai

So when they reached the confluence between them, they forgot their fish, which found its way into the sea, sneaking away.

Ali Ünal

When they reached the junction of the two (seas), they forgot their fish, and it took its way amazingly through the sea as in an underground channel.

Amatul Rahman Omar

But when they reached the confluence (where the two rivers met) they forgot (all about) their fish (which they had brought with them) so that it took its way straight into the river burrowing (in to it).

English Literal

So when they (B) reached (a) place of meeting (point of joint) between them (B) (the two seas/oceans/rivers), they (B) forgot their (B)`s fish/large fish/whale, so it took/received its path in the sea/ocean/river sneaking away (it escaped into the body of water).

Faridul Haque

And when they reached the place where the two seas meet, they forgot about their fish, and it took its way into the sea, making a tunnel. (The dead fish came alive and went into the water.)

Hamid S. Aziz

And when Moses said to his servant, "I will not cease until I reach the confluence of the two seas, though I go on for years."

Hilali & Khan

But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And when Moses said to his servant: I will not cease until I reach the junction of the two rivers, otherwise I will go on for years.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

So when they had reached the junction of the two (rivers) they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the sea, going away.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when they reached the point where the two met, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the waters, being free.

Muhammad Sarwar

When they reached the junction of the two seas they found out that they had forgotten all about the fish (which they had carried for food). The fish found its way into the sea.

Qaribullah & Darwish

But when they came to the point where the two met, they forgot their fish, which made its way burrowing into the sea.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel.

Wahiduddin Khan

But when at last they came to the land where the two seas met, they forgot their fish and it swiftly made its way into the sea.

Talal Itani

Then, when they reached the junction between them, they forgot about their fish. It found its way into the river, slipping away.

Tafsir jalalayn

So when they reached a juncture between the two, between the two seas, they forgot their fish -- Joshua forgot his luggage [leaving it behind] at the moment of departure, and Moses forgot to remind him -- and so it, the fish, made its way into the sea, that is, it formed it -- through God's forming it -- by burrowing, that is, like [through] a burrow, which is a passage that is long and enclosed; this was [so] because God, exalted be He, held back the flow of the water [preventing it] from [engulfing] the fish and it [the water] withdrew from around it [the fish] and remained thus like a cleft without closing, and what was beneath it [the cleft] stood still.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَا مَجْمَعَ بَيْنِهِمَا نَسِيَا حُوتَهُمَا

But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish,

He had been commanded to carry a salted fish with him, and it had been said to him, when you lose the fish, that will be a sign that you have reached the right place. So they set out and traveled until they reached the junction of the two seas, where there was a spring called `Ayn Al-Hayat (the Spring of Life).

They went to sleep there, and the fish felt the drops of that water, so it came back to life. It was in a vessel with Yusha`, upon him be peace, and it jumped out of the vessel towards the sea. Yusha` woke up and the fish fell into the water and started to swim through the water, leaving a track or channel behind it.

Allah said;

فَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ سَرَبًا



and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel.

meaning, like going through a tunnel on land.

Ibn Jurayj said,

"Ibn Abbas said, `It left a trace as if it were a rock.'