35:12 Faatir (The Originator)

وما يستوي البحران: هذا عذب شديد العذوبة، سَهْلٌ مروره في الحلق يزيل العطش، وهذا ملح شديد الملوحة، ومن كل من البحرين تأكلون سمكًا طريًّا شهيَّ الطَّعم، وتستخرجون زينة هي اللؤلؤ والمَرْجان تَلْبَسونها، وترى السفن فيه شاقات المياه؛ لتبتغوا من فضله من التجارة وغيرها. وفي هذا دلالة على قدرة الله ووحدانيته؛ ولعلكم تشكرون لله على هذه النعم التي أنعم بها عليكم.

هذا إخبار عن قدرته وحكمته ورحمته، أنه جعل البحرين لمصالح العالم الأرضي كلهم، وأنه لم يسوِّ بينهما، لأن المصلحة تقتضي أن تكون الأنهار عذبة فراتا، سائغا شرابها، لينتفع بها الشاربون والغارسون والزارعون، وأن يكون البحر ملحا أجاجا، لئلا يفسد الهواء المحيط بالأرض بروائح ما يموت في البحر من الحيوانات ولأنه ساكن لا يجري، فملوحته تمنعه من التغير، ولتكون حيواناته أحسن وألذ، ولهذا قال: { وَمِنْ كُلٍ } من البحر الملح والعذب { تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا } وهو السمك المتيسر صيده في البحر، { وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا } من لؤلؤ ومرجان وغيرهما، مما يوجد في البحر، فهذه مصالح عظيمة للعباد.ومن المصالح أيضا والمنافع في البحر، أن سخره اللّه تعالى يحمل الفلك من السفن والمراكب، فتراها تمخر البحر وتشقه، فتسلك من إقليم إلى إقليم آخر، ومن محل إلى محل، فتحمل السائرين وأثقالهم وتجاراتهم، فيحصل بذلك من فضل اللّه وإحسانه شيء كثير، ولهذا قال: { وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ }

يقول تعالى منبها على قدرته العظيمة في خلقه الأشياء المختلفة خلق البحرين العذب الزلال وهو هذه الأنهار السارحة بين الناس من كبار وصغار بحسب الحاجة إليها في الأقاليم والأمصار والعمران والبراري والقفار وهي عذبة سائغ شرابها لمن أراد ذلك "وهذا ملح أجاج" أي مر وهو البحر الساكن الذي تسير فيه السفن الكبار وإنما تكون مالحة زعافا مرة ولهذا قال "وهذا ملح أجاج" أي مر ثم قال تعالى: "ومن كل تأكلون لحما طريا" يعني السمك "وتستخرجون حلية تلبسونها" كما قال عز وجل "يخرج منهما اللؤلؤ والمرجان فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان" وقوله جل وعلا "وترى الفلك فيه مواخر" أي تمخره وتشقه بحيزومها وهو مقدمها المسنم الذي يشبه جؤجؤ الطير وهو صدره وقال مجاهد تمخر الريح السفن ولا يمخر الريح من السفن إلا العظام وقوله جلا وعلا "لتبتغوا من فضله" أي بأسفاركم بالتجارة من قطر إلى قطر. وإقليم إلى إقليم "ولعلكم تشكرون" أي تشكرون ربكم على تسخيره لكم هذا الخلق العظيم وهو البحر تتصرفون فيه كيف شئتم وتذهبون أين أردتم ولا يمتنع عليكم شيء منه بل بقدرته قد سخر لكم ما في السموات وما في الأرض الجميع من فضله ورحمته.

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 mawākhira in other words tamkhuru’l-mā’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.

In the next verse: وَمِن كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِ‌يًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِ‌جُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا (And from each, you eat fresh meat, and derive ornaments that you wear - 35:12), it is being said that one gets fresh meat, that is, fish to eat from both waters, sweet or brackish. In this verse, by alluding to fish as meat, the hint released is that fish is meat, already halal by itself. One does not have to slaughter it. This is contrary to the case of the animals found on land. Unless one slaughters them with the name of Allah, they do not become halal. Fish does not have this condition. It is meat, ready to eat. And the word: حِلْيَةً (hilyah) means ornament and refers to pearls. The verse tells us that the way pearls are found in brackish waters, they are also found in sweet waters, something contrary to the general belief, since it is well known that pearls are harvested from the brackish water of the seas. However, the reality is what is evident from the words of the Qur'an that they form in both - yes, much less in sweet waters and far more in the brackish waters of the sea. That they are found in seas excessively contributed to the popular belief that pearls come only from brackish waters.

By using the masculine form in the last word: تَلْبَسُونَهَا (talbasunaha: that you wear), a hint is being released that the use of pearls is permissible for men as well - contrary to gold and silver, the use of which as an ornament is not permissible for men. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)

Not equal are the two oceans, this one sweet, satisfying, delicious to drink, that one salty, bitter. This verse alludes to two states: turning toward God and turning away from God. Those who turn toward God are occupied with obeying Him and recognizing Him. Those who turn away from Him are shut off from worshiping Him and protest against His apportioning and decree. The former is the cause of union, and the latter the cause of deprivation and separation. These are two different oceans, one delicious and the other bitter, standing between the servant and God. One is the ocean of destruction, the other the ocean of salvation. This is their likeness: Five ships are traveling in the ocean of destruction: avarice, eye-service, persistence in acts of disobedience, heedlessness, and despair. Whoever sits in the ship of avarice will reach the shore of love for this world. Whoever sits in the ship of eye-service will reach the shore of hypocrisy. Whoever sits in the ship of persistence in acts of disobedience will reach the shore of wretchedness. Whoever sits in the ship of heedlessness will reach the shore of remorse. Whoever sits in the ship of despair will reach the shore of unbelief. As for the ocean of salvation, five ships are traveling on it: fear, hope, renunciation, recogni- tion, and tawḤīd. Whoever sits in the ship of fear will reach the shore of security. Whoever sits in the ship of hope will reach the shore of bestowal. Whoever sits in the ship of renunciation will reach the shore of proximity. Whoever sits in the ship of recognition will reach the shore of inti- macy. Whoever sits in the ship of tawḤīd will reach the shore of contemplation. The Pir of the Tariqah gave an eloquent admonition to his companions and friends. He said, “Dear friends, it is time to seek salvation from this ocean of destruction and rise up from this pit of lassitude. Do not sell subsistent bliss for this evanescent house! “A soul without service is estranged. Do not nurture the estranged! A heart without wakeful- ness is a ghoul. Do not be the companion of a ghoul! A soul without awareness is wind. Do not live in the wind! Do not be satisfied with name and description in place of meaning and reality! Do not feel secure from hidden deception! Always be careful about the outcome of the work at the last breath!” That poet spoke sweet words in fine verses: O heart, if you want the afterworld, keep your claws back from this world! Trade in gambling away life and choosing religion's road! Put your foot on this world and sew up the eye of name and reputation, seize hold of the afterworld and close down the road of pride and honor.