The Quran, revealed over 1,400 years ago, has been a source of guidance for millions of Muslims around the world. Beyond its spiritual and moral teachings, the Quran also contains verses that hint at natural phenomena that modern science has only recently begun to understand. One such phenomenon is the concept of “lakes inside oceans,” which can be seen as a reflection of the divine knowledge imparted to humanity through the Quran.
Quranic Verses Related to “Lakes Inside Oceans”
In Surah Al-Furqan, Allah mentions a fascinating aspect of the oceans:
“وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَحْجُورًا”
“Wa Huwa allathee maraja al-bahrayni hatha AAathbun furatun wahatha milhun oojajun wajaAAala baynahuma barzakhan wahijran mahjooran”
“And it is He who has released [simultaneously] the two seas [bodies of water], one fresh and sweet and one salty and bitter, and He placed between them a barrier and prohibiting partition.”
(Quran 25:53)
Another relevant verse is from Surah Ar-Rahman:
“مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ، بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ”
“Maraja al-bahrayni yaltaqiyan, baynahuma barzakhun la yabghiyan”
“He released the two seas, meeting [side by side]; Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses.”
(Quran 55:19-20)
These verses describe the existence of a barrier (barzakh) between two bodies of water, preventing them from mixing completely. While the primary interpretation has traditionally been the meeting of fresh and salty waters, modern discoveries have expanded our understanding of this phenomenon to include the discovery of “lakes” within oceans.
Scientific Discovery of Underwater Lakes
In the last few decades, oceanographers and marine scientists have uncovered the existence of underwater lakes or brine pools. These “lakes” are found on the ocean floor, where highly saline water, denser than the surrounding seawater, collects in depressions, forming distinct, isolated bodies of water within the ocean itself. These underwater lakes are often referred to as “brine pools” due to their high salinity, which can be several times greater than that of the surrounding seawater.
Brine pools have been discovered in various parts of the world, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Red Sea. These lakes have a unique chemical composition and support life forms that have adapted to extreme conditions. The boundary between the brine pool and the surrounding ocean water is so distinct that it resembles the interface between two different bodies of water, much like the “barrier” mentioned in the Quran.
Correlation Between Quranic Verses & Modern Science
The Quranic description of a barrier between two bodies of water can be seen as a reference to the natural phenomena of haloclines, thermoclines, and brine pools. Haloclines are boundaries between layers of water with different salinities, while thermoclines are layers of water with different temperatures. Both types of boundaries prevent the complete mixing of the waters on either side, creating distinct layers or “barriers.”
The discovery of brine pools is particularly remarkable because it aligns with the Quranic verses in a way that transcends the traditional understanding of the “meeting of two seas.” The existence of these underwater lakes within the oceans can be seen as a modern-day manifestation of the Quranic concept of a “barrier” between two different bodies of water.
Also, read All Scientific Miracles of the Quran