Quran Universe
35:12

وَمَا يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡبَحۡرَانِ هَٰذَا عَذۡبٞ فُرَاتٞ سَآئِغٞ شَرَابُهُۥ وَهَٰذَا مِلۡحٌ أُجَاجٞۖ وَمِن كُلّٖ تَأۡكُلُونَ لَحۡمٗا طَرِيّٗا وَتَسۡتَخۡرِجُونَ حِلۡيَةٗ تَلۡبَسُونَهَاۖ وَتَرَى ٱلۡفُلۡكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ

Wama yastawee albahrani hatha AAathbun furatun saighun sharabuhu wahatha milhun ojajun wamin kullin takuloona lahman tariyyan watastakhrijoona hilyatan talbasoonaha watara alfulka feehi mawakhira litabtaghoo min fadlihi walaAAallakum tashkuroona

And not alike are the two bodies of water. One is fresh and sweet, palatable for drinking, and one is salty and bitter. And from each you eat tender meat and extract ornaments which you wear, and you see the ships plowing through [them] that you might seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful.

Word by word
  1. وَمَاAnd not
  2. يَسۡتَوِيare alike
  3. ٱلۡبَحۡرَانِthe two seas
  4. هَٰذَاThis
  5. عَذۡبٞ(is) fresh
  6. فُرَاتٞsweet
  7. سَآئِغٞpleasant
  8. شَرَابُهُۥits drink
  9. وَهَٰذَاand this
  10. مِلۡحٌsalty
  11. أُجَاجٞۖ(and) bitter
  12. وَمِنAnd from
  13. كُلّٖeach
  14. تَأۡكُلُونَyou eat
  15. لَحۡمٗاmeat
  16. طَرِيّٗاfresh
  17. وَتَسۡتَخۡرِجُونَand you extract
  18. حِلۡيَةٗornaments
  19. تَلۡبَسُونَهَاۖyou wear them
  20. وَتَرَىand you see
  21. ٱلۡفُلۡكَthe ships
  22. فِيهِin it
  23. مَوَاخِرَcleaving
  24. لِتَبۡتَغُواْso that you may seek
  25. مِنof
  26. فَضۡلِهِۦHis Bounty
  27. وَلَعَلَّكُمۡand that you may
  28. تَشۡكُرُونَbe grateful
Fatir · 35:12Makkah

Sweet river, salty sea, both feeding you.

Two kinds of water, so that you may give thanks

Two waters
fresh riverssweet to drink
salty seabitter, but carries ships
both give
fish, ornaments, tradeseek His bounty
Why it is mentioned
just geographywater is water
a reason to thankmade to serve you

Ibn Kathir describes the fresh rivers flowing among people according to their needs, and the salty ocean where big ships sail for trade. Both give fish and pearls. All of it was made to serve people so they would give thanks.

You turn on the tap, eat tuna from a can, and wait for a parcel shipped across an ocean. Three gifts of water before lunch. The verse ends with perhaps you will be grateful.

Water, food, and shipping are just how the world works.

Each one is a favor placed in my path so I would thank the One behind it.

Try this

Drink a glass of water slowly today and thank Allah for it before and after.

Related55:22
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And the two seas (kinds of water) are not alike: this is palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink, and that is salty and bitter. And from them both you eat fresh tender meat (fish), and derive the ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships cleaving, that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may give thanks (12)

The Blessings and Signs of Allah

Allah says, pointing out His mighty power in creating different things, how He has created the two seas (kinds of water). The fresh, palatable sea (kind of water) refers to the rivers which flow among people, rivers great and small according to people's needs in all regions and areas and lands. This water is sweet and palatable for whoever wants to drink it.

وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ

(and that is salty and bitter.) means, unpalatable. This is the ocean in which the big ships sail, and is salty and undrinkable. Allah says:

وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ

(and that is salty and bitter.) Then Allah says:

وَمِنْ كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا

(And from them both you eat fresh tender meat,) meaning, fish.

وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا

(and derive the ornaments that you wear.) This is like the Ayah:

يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ - فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Out of them both come out pearl and coral. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both (Jinn and men) deny?)(55:22-23).

وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ

(And you see the ships cleaving,) means, they travel through it, plowing through the water with their beak-shaped bows. Muja0hid said, The wind drives the ships, and the wind cannot drive any ships except the big ones.

لِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ

(that you may seek of His bounty,) means, through your journeys to engage in trade from one land to another.

وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

(and that you may give thanks.) means, that you may give thanks to your Lord for subjugating this mighty creation – the sea – to you, so that you can travel through it as you wish and go wherever you want, and nothing stops you; His power has subjugated for you whatever is in the heavens and on earth, and all of this is by His grace and mercy.