Al-Qur'an Surah Fatir Verse 12

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And two seas are not alike; this one is sweet, saturating, pleasant to drink, and that one is salt, bitter. But from each, you eat fresh meat, and derive ornaments that you wear. And you see the boats therein cleaving through water, so that you may search for His grace, and that you may be grateful.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The two bodies of water are not alike: one is fresh, palatable, and pleasant to drink and the other is salty and bitter. Yet from them both you eat tender seafood and extract ornaments to wear. And you see the ships ploughing their way through both, so you may seek His bounty and give thanks ˹to Him˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The two bodies of water are not alike: one is fresh and palatable, pleasant to drink, and the other is salty and bitter. Yet from each you eat fresh meat and extract ornaments to wear. And you see the ships traverse their way through both, so that you may seek His bounty and so that you may give thanks.

A. J. Arberry

Not equal are the two seas; this is sweet, grateful to taste, delicious to drink, and that is salt, bitter to the tongue. Yet of both you eat fresh flesh, and bring forth out of it ornaments for you to wear; and thou mayest see the ships cleaving through it, that you may seek of His bounty, and so haply you will be thankful.

Abdul Haleem

The two bodies of water are not alike- one is palatable, sweet, and pleasant to drink, the other salty and bitter- yet from each you eat fresh fish and extract ornaments to wear, and in each you see the ships ploughing their course so that you may seek God’s bounty and be grateful.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And the two seas are not alike: this, sweet, thirst- quenching, pleasant to drink; and that, saltish and bitter. And yet from each ye eat flesh fresh and bring forth the ornaments that ye wear. And thou seest therein ships cleaving the water, that ye may seek of His graCe, and that haply ye may give thanks.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Nor are the two bodies of flowing water alike,- the one palatable, sweet, and pleasant to drink, and the other, salt and bitter. Yet from each (kind of water) do ye eat flesh fresh and tender, and ye extract ornaments to wear; and thou seest the ships therein that plough the waves, that ye may seek (thus) of the Bounty of Allah that ye may be grateful.

Abul Ala Maududi

The two masses of water are not alike. The one is sweet, sates thirst, and is pleasant to drink from, while the other is salt, bitter on the tongue. Yet from both you eat fresh meat, and extract from it ornaments that you wear; and you see ships cruising through it that you may seek of His Bounty and be thankful to Him.

Ahmed Ali

Alike are not two bodies of water: This one is sweet and fresh and pleasant to drink, and this one brine and bitter; yet you get fresh meat to eat from both, and take out ornaments to wear. You see how the ships churn through them so that you may seek of His bounty and, perhaps, give thanks.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the two seas are not alike; this is sweet, very sweet and palatable – and this is salty, bitter; and from each you eat fresh meat and extract the ornament which you wear; and you see the ship cleaving through it, so that you may seek His munificence, and in some way become grateful.

Ali Quli Qarai

Not alike are the two seas: this one sweet and agreeable, pleasant to drink, and that one briny and bitter, and from each you eat fresh meat and obtain ornaments, which you wear. And you see the ships plowing through them, that you may seek of His bounty, and so that you may give thanks.

Ali Ünal

Nor are the two seas (large bodies of water) alike: this one is sweet and palatable, and pleasant to drink, but that one, salty and bitter. You obtain from both fresh meat (for your nourishment), and precious stones to wear as ornament. And you see ships plowing through (both kinds of water), so that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may give Him thanks.

Amatul Rahman Omar

The two great bodies of water are not alike; this one is palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink while the other is saltish and bitter. Yet (inspite of all this) you take for food fresh and wholesome meat (of fish) from them both; and bring out from them (pearl-like things used in) ornaments for your wear. And you can see the ships cleaving (their way) through it so that you may seek of His bounty (by means of commercial navigation), and so that you may give (Him) thanks.

English Literal

And the two seas/oceans do not become equal/alike, that (is) fresh/sweet very sweet/fresh pleasant tasting its drink, and that (is) salty, salty and bitter, and from each/all you eat a soft/tender meat , and you bring out a jewel/ornament you wear/dress it, and you see the ship/ships in it audibly cutting through to ask/desire from His grace/favour , and maybe/perhaps you thank/be grateful.

Faridul Haque

And the two seas are not alike; this is sweet, very sweet and palatable – and this is salty, bitter; and from each you eat fresh meat and extract the ornament which you wear; and you see the ship cleaving through it, so that you may seek His munificence, and in some way become grateful.

Hamid S. Aziz

And Allah created you of dust, then of the life-germ, then He made you pairs; and no female bears, nor does she bring forth, except with His knowledge; and no one whose life is lengthened has his life lengthened, nor is aught diminished of one´s life, but it is all recorded in a Book; surely this is easy for Allah.

Hilali & Khan

And the two seas (kinds of water) are not alike, this fresh sweet, and pleasant to drink, and that saltish and bitter. And from them both you eat fresh tender meat (fish), and derive the ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships cleaving (the seawater as they sail through it), that you may seek of His Bounty, and that you may give thanks.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And Allah created you from dust, then from the life-germ, then He made you pairs. And no females bears, nor brings forth, except with His knowledge. And no one living long is granted a long life, nor is aught diminished of one’s life, but it is all in a book. Surely this is easy to Allah.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And the two seas are not alike: the one sweet, that subdues thirst by its excessive sweetness, pleasant to drink; and the other salt, that burns by its saltness; yet from each of them you eat fresh flesh and bring forth ornaments which you wear; and you see the ships cleave through it that you may seek of His bounty and that you may be grateful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

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

Muhammad Sarwar

The two oceans, one sweet and the other salty, are not alike. From each you can eat fresh meat and obtain ornaments to use. You see ships ploughing their way through them so that you may seek His favor and give Him thanks.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The two seas are not alike. One is fresh, sweet and pleasant to taste, while the other is salt and bitter. Yet, from each you eat fresh flesh and bring forth out of it ornaments for you to wear. And you see the ships plow their course through it so that you may seek His bounty, and in order that you give thanks.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And the two seas (kinds of water) are not alike: this is palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink, and that is salty and bitter. And from them both you eat fresh tender meat (fish), and derive the ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships cleaving, that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may give thanks.

Wahiduddin Khan

The two seas are not alike. The one is sweet, thirst-quenching, and pleasant to drink from, while the other is salty and bitter. Yet from each you eat fresh fish and extract ornaments to wear, and in each you see the ships ploughing through the waves so that you may seek His bounty and so that you may feel thankful.

Talal Itani

The two seas are not the same. One is fresh, sweet, good to drink, while the other is salty and bitter. Yet from each you eat tender meat, and extract jewelry which you wear. And you see the ships plowing through them, so that you may seek of His bounty, so that you may give thanks.

Tafsir jalalayn

Nor are the two [kinds of] seas alike; this one is extremely sweet, pleasant to drink and that one is salty, extremely bitter. Yet from each, of the two, you eat fresh meat, namely, fish, and obtain, from the salt -- and it is also said, from both of them -- ornaments which you wear, namely, pearls and coral. And you see, you sight, the ships therein, in each of the two [seas], ploughing through (mawkhira, in other words, tamkhuru'l-m'a, meaning, `it cleaves it as it makes its way through it, coming and going by the same wind) that you may seek of His bounty, exalted be He, through commerce, and that perhaps you may give thanks, to God for this [bounty].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Blessings and Signs of Allah

Allah says,

وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْبَحْرَانِ هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَايِغٌ شَرَابُهُ

And the two seas (kinds of water) are not alike;this is palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink,

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.

وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ

and that is salty and bitter.

means, unpalatable.

This is the ocean in which the big ships sail, and is salty and undrinkable.

Then Allah says;

وَمِن كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا

And from them both you eat fresh tender meat,

meaning, fish.

وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا

and derive the ornaments that you wear.

This is like the Ayah;

يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا الُّلوْلُوُ وَالمَرْجَانُ

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Out of them both come out pearl and coral. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both (Jinn and men) deny! (55;22-23)

وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ

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.

لِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ

that you may seek of His bounty,

means, through your journeys to engage in trade from one land to another.

وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ



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