Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:53

"And it is He who has released [the two seas]..."

He named the two vast, abundant bodies of water "two seas."

• Al-Furāt (the sweet): That which is intensely sweet, to the point of reaching a state of sugary taste.
• Al-Ujāj (the salty): Its opposite.
• Marajahumā (He released them): He left them adjacent and touching, while by His power, He separates them and prevents them from mixing. This is among the signs of His immense omnipotence.

In the words of some: "Two seas, one is released alongside the other, and the sweet water from them is mixed with the salty."

"{A barrier}" A partition created by His power. It is like His saying, Exalted is He: {Without pillars that you can see} (Ar-Ra‘d: 2; Luqmān: 10), meaning: without visible pillars, which is His power.

It has been recited as (milh) in the form of a verb. It is also said that it is as if "mālih" (salty) was shortened for ease, just as one says: "wa-ṣaliyānan bardā" (and a cold ṣaliyān plant), meaning bāridan (cold).

If you ask: What is the meaning of {and a forbidden partition}? I say: It is the phrase used by one seeking refuge. We have explained it before, and here it is used metaphorically. It is as if each of the two seas seeks refuge from the other, saying to it: "A forbidden partition!"

Just as He said: {Neither of them transgresses} (Ar-Raḥmān: 20), meaning neither transgresses against the other by mixing. The negation of transgression there is like the seeking of refuge here: He has placed each of them in the position of one transgressing against the other, so it seeks refuge from it. This is among the most beautiful metaphors and the most evident of its eloquence.

"{And it is He who created from water a human being and made him [a relative by] lineage and marriage. And ever is your Lord competent.}"