Verse 7
The Overthrowing • makkah
View Aspects
52:7; 82:4.
Important Words:
البحار (seas) is the plural of بحر which means, a sea; a great river; a spacious place comprising a large quantity of water. It is also the plural of بحرة which means, a town or village (Lane & Aqrab).
سجرت (made to flow forth). They say سجر الماء النھر i.e. the water filled the stream. سجر الماء (sajjara) means, he made the water to flow forth whithersoever it would. Thus اذا البحار سجرت means: When the seas are filled; when the rivers are made to flow into one another; when the seas will be set on fire; when the seas will meet together and become one; when towns or cities will swell with their populations (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
In view of different meanings of the words سجرت and البحار given under Important Words the verse signifies: When the waters of rivers will be drained away for irrigation and other purposes, and rivers will be linked up together for these purposes; when in sea battles very large ships will be set on fire and it would seem as if the seas were on fire; when large oceans will be joined together by means of canals; when the rural population will go into towns and cities and they will overflow with their inhabitants.
52:7; 82:4.
The verse signifies: When the waters of rivers will be drained away for irrigation and other purposes; or, when in sea-fights very large ships will be set on fire and it would seem as if the seas had caught fire; or, when large oceans will be joined together by means of canals; or, when rural population will go into towns and cities will overflow with their inhabitants. The word, Sujjira, possesses all these meanings (Lane).