The Darkness of the Deep Seas

Surah An-Nur Verse 40 2026-09-03 23:00:56
Quranic verses

أَوْ كَظُلُمَاتٍ فِي بَحْرٍ لُجِّيٍّ يَغْشَاهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌ ۚ ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَا أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَاهَا ۗ وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُورًا فَمَا لَهُ مِن نُّورٍ

Or like darkness within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds - layers of darkness upon layers of darkness.

Surah An-Nur (24:40)

In Surah An-Nur (24:40), the Quran declares: "Or [they are] like darkness within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds - layers of darkness upon layers of darkness. When he 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."

This description of darkness in the deep seas is astonishingly precise. Modern oceanography has discovered that deep oceans are indeed plunged into total darkness, because sunlight only penetrates to about 200 meters of depth.

The verse also mentions "waves above which are waves," which corresponds to the discovery of internal waves that occur at the interface between water layers of different densities in deep oceans. These internal waves, invisible from the surface, were discovered by oceanographers in the 20th century.

Professor Durga Rao, an oceanographer, confirmed that the Quranic description of darkness in the deep seas is scientifically accurate. Living organisms in the deep ocean produce their own light (bioluminescence) because they live in total darkness.

This description, revealed 1400 years ago in the Arabian desert, could not have been known without divine revelation, because no one at that time could dive into the ocean depths.

Scientific findings

  • Sunlight only penetrates about 200 meters into the ocean
  • Deep ocean depths are plunged into total darkness
  • Internal waves exist at the interface of water layers of different densities
  • Deep-sea organisms produce their own light (bioluminescence)

Scientific references

  • The Quran and the Oceans: Scientific Miracles — Bucaille, M. (The Bible, The Quran and Science, 1976)
  • Internal Waves in the Ocean — Garrett, C. & Munk, W. (Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 1979)
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