The word “the sea” (al-bahr) is used 32 times in the Quran. The word
“al-bahr” is used both for sea and other waters like lakes and rivers.
The word “al-berr” (the land) is used 12 times in the Quran.
The surface of the world is 510 million square kilometers.
Approximately 360 million kilometers are made up of waters, like seas,
lakes, etc. In addition, 15 million kilometers are ice-sheets; if we
exclude these ice-sheets from the rest, approximately 135 million
square kilometers are land.
The ratio of the words “al-bahr” (the land) and “al-berr” (the sea)
in the Quran is 12/32 = 0.375. The ratio of the land and the sea in
the world is 135 mill sq. km / 360 million sq. km=0.375. So, there is
a very interesting harmony between the usages of these words in the
Quran and the existing phenomena in the world.
22- He is the One who moves you across the land and the sea.
10-Jonah, 22
The word | Number of occurrences | The Ratio |
Land | 12 | 0.375 |
Sea | 32 | |
The Place | Surface of the Earth | The Ratio |
Land | 135 million square kilometers | 0.375 |
(excluding ice sheets) | 360 million square kilometers | |
Sea |