Science in the Glorious Quran: Fishes at Water Surface

“وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ” (الأعراف:163).

“Ask them about the town by the sea, which violated the Sabbath: when their fish would come to them abundantly breaking the water’s surface on the Sabbath day, and would not come to them on other than Sabbath-days. Thus, We tried them because they disobeyed.” (Qur’an, 7:163)

Sabbath was a holiday for the Israelites which they were strictly required to observe and not to get engage in any worldly activity. Violation of the Sabbath rules was a major sin (Ezekiel, 20: 12-24).

The above verse refers to how God tested some Israelites who lived by the sea. On the Sabbath, fish came abundantly to the sea shore, and were clearly apparent by breaking the water’s surface.

The behavior of apparent fishes showing their dorsal fins or bodies or by jumping on the water’s surface is common in fishes like sharks, tarpon, redfish, and sunfish. Who taught the Prophet Muhammad, who lived in cities surrounded by desert, this fish behavior?

Shark (left), sunfish (middle), and redfish (right)

Fishes break the water’s surface with their dorsal fins, their bodies and by jumping

Redfish (left), Golden Tarpon fish (middle), and Mackerel fish (right)