Quranic Sciences and Tradition

Quranic Sciences and Tradition

Geographical Localization and Analysis of the Referents of Baḥr and Yamm in the Qur’an

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
MA, Department of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Quranic Sciences and Education, University of Quran and Hadith, Qom, Iran.
10.22059/jqst.2026.414899.670647
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the geographical and semantic dimensions of the Qur'anic terms baḥr (sea) and yamm (large body of water/sea) in order to identify their concrete referents within the historical geography of the period of revelation. Employing a comparative approach based on lexical analysis of Arabic and Syriac, the frequency of occurrence of these terms—41 instances of baḥr and 7 instances of yamm—and the contextual analysis of the relevant verses, the study examines the semantic implications of these terms. The findings demonstrate that, in the Qur'an, these terms are not merely general concepts but are often used as definite nouns referring to bodies of water known to the original audience. The study categorizes the relevant verses into three domains: narrative-historical, cosmic-signological, and eschatological-parabolic. The evidence indicates that, in the verses containing baḥr and yamm, the Gulf of Aqaba and its surrounding regions, including Midian and Mount Sinai, constitute the principal geographical setting for the events associated with these terms. This geographical concentration suggests that although the Qur'anic uses of baḥr and yamm are conceptually general, at the level of reference they point to a specific geographical area in the ancient Near East. Accordingly, geography in the Qur'an is not merely a setting for narrative events but also constitutes an influential element in the formation of the text's semantic and historical meanings.
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