What does the Quran say about the sea and the oceans?

The evidence

1. 1

   Quran An-Nahl · 16:14

   The sea is subjected for food, ornaments and ships, so you may seek His bounty.

   وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي سَخَّرَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ لِتَأۡكُلُواْ مِنۡهُ لَحۡمࣰ ا طَرِيࣰّ ا وَتَسۡتَخۡرِجُواْ مِنۡهُ حِلۡيَةࣰ تَلۡبَسُونَهَاۖ وَتَرَى ٱلۡفُلۡكَ مَوَاخِرَ فِيهِ وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ۝١٤

   And it is He who subjected the sea for you to eat from it tender meat and to extract from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, and [He subjected it] that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful

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2. 2

   Quran Al-Jaathiya · 45:12

   Allah subjected the sea so ships sail by His command.

   ۞ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ لِتَجۡرِيَ ٱلۡفُلۡكُ فِيهِ بِأَمۡرِهِۦ وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ۝١٢

   It is Allah who subjected to you the sea so that ships may sail upon it by His command and that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful

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3. 3

   Quran Al-Maaida · 5:96

   Game from the sea and its food are lawful.

   أُحِلَّ لَكُمۡ صَيۡدُ ٱلۡبَحۡرِ وَطَعَامُهُۥ مَتَٰعࣰ ا لَّكُمۡ وَلِلسَّيَّارَةِۖ وَحُرِّمَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ صَيۡدُ ٱلۡبَرِّ مَا دُمۡتُمۡ حُرُمࣰ اۗ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ ۝٩٦

   Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travelers, but forbidden to you is game from the land as long as you are in the state of ihram. And fear Allah to whom you will be gathered

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4. 4

   Hadith Sunan Abi Dawud 83

   Sahih graded by Al-Albani

   Sea water is pure for wudu and what dies in it is lawful.

   Narrated AbuHurayrah: A man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Messenger of Allah, we travel on the sea and take a small quantity of water with us. If we use this for ablution, we would suffer from thirst. Can we perform ablution with sea water? The Messenger (ﷺ) replied: Its water is pure and what dies in it is lawful food

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   العربية

   حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، - مِنْ آلِ ابْنِ الأَزْرَقِ - أَنَّ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، - وَهُوَ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الدَّارِ - أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا نَرْكَبُ الْبَحْرَ وَنَحْمِلُ مَعَنَا الْقَلِيلَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأْنَا بِهِ عَطِشْنَا أَفَنَتَوَضَّأُ بِمَاءِ الْبَحْرِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

5. 5

   Quran Al-Israa · 17:67

   In danger at sea people call only on Allah, then turn away on land.

   وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدۡعُونَ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡبَرِّ أَعۡرَضۡتُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ كَفُورًا ۝٦٧

   And when adversity touches you at sea, lost are [all] those you invoke except for Him. But when He delivers you to the land, you turn away [from Him]. And ever is man ungrateful

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6. 6

   Quran Yunus · 10:22

   In a storm at sea people call on Allah sincerely, promising gratitude.

   هُوَ ٱلَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا كُنتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡفُلۡكِ وَجَرَيۡنَ بِهِم بِرِيحࣲ طَيِّبَةࣲ وَفَرِحُواْ بِهَا جَآءَتۡهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفࣱ وَجَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانࣲ وَظَنُّوٓاْ أَنَّهُمۡ أُحِيطَ بِهِمۡ دَعَوُاْ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ لَئِنۡ أَنجَيۡتَنَا مِنۡ هَٰذِهِۦ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ ۝٢٢

   It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from everywhere and they assume that they are surrounded, supplicating Allah, sincere to Him in religion, "If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful

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7. 7

   Quran An-Noor · 24:40

   The deeds of disbelievers are like layered darknesses in a deep sea.

   أَوۡ كَظُلُمَٰتࣲ فِي بَحۡرࣲ لُّجِّيࣲّ يَغۡشَىٰهُ مَوۡجࣱ مِّن فَوۡقِهِۦ مَوۡجࣱ مِّن فَوۡقِهِۦ سَحَابࣱۚ ظُلُمَٰتُۢ بَعۡضُهَا فَوۡقَ بَعۡضٍ إِذَآ أَخۡرَجَ يَدَهُۥ لَمۡ يَكَدۡ يَرَىٰهَاۗ وَمَن لَّمۡ يَجۡعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ نُورࣰ ا فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن نُّورٍ ۝٤٠

   Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allah has not granted light - for him there is no light

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8. 8

   Tafsir Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · 24:40

   Or their deeds are like the many darkness in the depth of the ocean, over which is a wave, over which is another wave, over which is a cloud covering the navigating stars. Compounded layers of darkness, one above the other; if the one that finds himself among such darkness were to remove his hand in front of him, he would barely see it. Likewise is a disbeliever: the darkness of ignorance, doubt, confusion and his heart being sealed up, gather up on him. Whoever Allah does not grant guidance from error to and knowledge of the Book, will never find any other guidance or any other book from which he can seek enlightenment.

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