Tarikh (al-Tabari) 18
Creation of the heavens and the earth
فِي الْبِحَارِ وَالْأَنْهَارِ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَهُوَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ الْبَحْرَ لِتَأْكُلُوا مِنْهُ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُوا مِنْهُ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ مَوَاخِرَ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ وَأَلْقَى فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَارًا وَسُبُلًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ وَعَلَامَاتٍ وَبِالنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ أَفَمَنْ يَخْلُقُ كَمَنْ لَا يَخْلُقُ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ [ النَّحْلِ: 14 18 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْبَحْرَانِ هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَائِغٌ شَرَابُهُ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَمِنْ كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ [ فَاطِرٍ: 12 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَحْجُورًا [ الْفُرْقَانِ: 53 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ [ الرَّحْمَنِ: 19، 20 ]. فَالْمُرَادُ بِالْبَحْرَيْنِ: الْبَحْرُ الْمِلْحُ الْمُرُّ وَهُوَ الْأُجَاجُ، وَالْبَحْرُ الْعَذْبُ هُوَ هَذِهِ الْأَنْهَارُ السَّارِحَةُ بَيْنَ أَقْطَارِ الْأَمْصَارِ لِمَصَالِحِ الْعِبَادِ قَالَهُ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ الْجَوَارِي فِي الْبَحْرِ كَالْأَعْلَامِ إِنْ يَشَأْ يُسْكِنِ الرِّيحَ فَيَظْلَلْنَ رَوَاكِدَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ أَوْ يُوبِقْهُنَّ بِمَا كَسَبُوا وَيَعْفُ عَنْ كَثِيرٍ [ الشُّورَى: 32 - 34 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ الْفُلْكَ تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ لِيُرِيَكُمْ مِنْ آيَاتِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ وَإِذَا غَشِيَهُمْ مَوْجٌ كَالظُّلَلِ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ فَمِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَّا كُلُّ خَتَّارٍ كَفُورٍ [ لُقْمَانَ: 31، 32 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ [ الْبَقَرَةِ: 164 ]. فَامْتَنَّ تَعَالَى عَلَى عِبَادِهِ بِمَا خَلَقَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الْبِحَارِ وَالْأَنْهَارِ فَالْبَحْرُ الْمُحِيطُ بِسَائِرِ أَرْجَاءِ الْأَرْضِ، وَمَا يَنْبَثِقُ مِنْهُ فِي جَوَانِبِهَا الْجَمِيعُ مَالِحُ الطَّعْمِ مُرٌّ، وَفِي هَذَا حِكْمَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ لِصِحَّةِ الْهَوَاءِ ; إِذْ لَوْ كَانَ حُلْوًا لَأَنْتَنَ الْجَوُّ وَفَسَدَ الْهَوَاءُ ; بِسَبَبِ مَا يَمُوتُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ الْعِظَامِ فَكَانَ يُؤَدِّي إِلَى تَفَانِي بَنِي آدَمَ وَفَسَادِ مَعَايِشِهِمْ، فَاقْتَضَتِ الْحِكْمَةُ الْبَالِغَةُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ لِهَذِهِ الْمَصْلَحَةِ. وَلِهَذَا لَمَّا سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْبَحْرِ ؟ قَالَ: هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ. وَأَمَّا الْأَنْهَارُ فَاقْتَضَتِ الْحِكْمَةُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَاؤُهَا حُلْوًا عَذْبًا جَارِيًا فُرَاتًا سَائِغًا لِلشَّارِبِينَ، وَجَعَلَهَا جَارِيَةً سَارِحَةً يُنْبِعُهَا تَعَالَى فِي أَرْضٍ، وَيَسُوقُهَا إِلَى أُخْرَى رِزْقًا لِلْعِبَادِ، وَمِنْهَا كِبَارٌ وَمِنْهَا صِغَارٌ بِحَسَبِ الْحَاجَةِ وَالْمَصْلَحَةِ. وَقَدْ تَكَلَّمَ أَصْحَابُ عِلْمِ الْهَيْئَةِ وَالتَّسْيِيرِ عَلَى تَعْدَادِ الْبِحَارِ وَالْأَنْهَارِ الْكِبَارِ، وَأُصُولِ مَنَابِعِهَا، وَإِلَى أَيْنَ يَنْتَهِي سَيْرُهَا بِكَلَامٍ فِيهِ حِكَمٌ، وَدَلَالَاتٌ عَلَى قُدْرَةِ الْخَالِقِ تَعَالَى، وَأَنَّهُ فَاعِلٌ بِالِاخْتِيَارِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ. البحر المسجور وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: وَالْبَحْرِ الْمَسْجُورِ [ الطُّورِ: 6 ]. فِيهِ قَوْلَانِ ; أَحَدُهُمَا: أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِهِ الْبَحْرُ الَّذِي تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ الْمَذْكُورِ فِي حَدِيثِ الْأَوْعَالِ، وَأَنَّهُ فَوْقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ بَيْنَ أَسْفَلِهِ وَأَعْلَاهُ كَمَا بَيْنَ سَمَاءٍ إِلَى سَمَاءٍ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَنْزِلُ مِنْهُ الْمَطَرُ قَبْلَ الْبَعْثِ فَتَحْيَا مِنْهُ الْأَجْسَادُ مِنْ قُبُورِهَا، وَهَذَا الْقَوْلُ هُوَ اخْتِيَارُ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، وَالثَّانِي: أَنَّ الْبَحْرَ اسْمُ جِنْسٍ يَعُمُّ سَائِرَ الْبِحَارِ الَّتِي فِي الْأَرْضِ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الْجُمْهُورِ. وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي مَعْنَى الْبَحْرِ الْمَسْجُورِ فَقِيلَ: الْمَمْلُوءُ. وَقِيلَ: يَصِيرُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ نَارًا تُؤَجَّجُ فَيُحِيطُ بِأَهْلِ الْمَوْقِفِ. كَمَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ فِي التَّفْسِيرِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَغَيْرِهِمَا. وَقِيلَ الْمُرَادُ بِهِ: الْمَمْنُوعُ الْمَكْفُوفُ الْمَحْرُوسُ عَنْ أَنْ يَطْغَى فَيَغْمُرَ الْأَرْضَ وَمَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَيَغْرَقُوا. رَوَاهُ الْوَالِبِيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ السُّدِّيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ. وَيُؤَيِّدُهُ الْحَدِيثُ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ: عن عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ: قَالَ: لَيْسَ مِنْ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَّا وَالْبَحْرُ يُشْرِفُ فِيهَا ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ يَسْتَأْذِنُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يَنْفَضِخَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَكُفُّهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. وَهَذَا مِنْ نِعَمِهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى عِبَادِهِ أَنْ كَفَّ شَرَّ الْبَحْرِ عَنْ أَنْ يَطْغَى عَلَيْهِمْ، وَسَخَّرَهُ لَهُمْ يَحْمِلُ مَرَاكِبَهُمْ لِيَبْلُغُوا عَلَيْهَا إِلَى الْأَقَالِيمِ النَّائِيَةِ بِالتِّجَارَاتِ وَغَيْرِهَا، وَهَدَاهُمْ فِيهِ بِمَا خَلَقَهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ مِنَ النُّجُومِ، وَالْجِبَالِ الَّتِي جَعَلَهَا لَهُمْ عَلَامَاتٍ يَهْتَدُونَ بِهَا فِي سَيْرِهِمْ، وَبِمَا خَلَقَ لَهُمْ فِيهِ حِلْيَةً يَلْبَسُونَهَا مِنَ اللَّآلِئِ وَالْجَوَاهِرِ النَّفِيسَةِ الْعَزِيزَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ الثَّمِينَةِ الَّتِي لَا تُوجَدُ إِلَّا فِيهِ، وَبِمَا خَلَقَ فِيهِ مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ الْغَرِيبَةِ، وَأَحَلَّهَا لَهُمْ حَتَّى مَيْتَتَهَا كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ الْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُ [ الْمَائِدَةِ: 96 ]. وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ. وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ الْآخَرِ: أُحِلَّتْ لَنَا مَيْتَتَانِ وَدَمَانِ ; السَّمَكُ وَالْجَرَادُ، وَالْكَبِدُ وَالطِّحَالُ. رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ، وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ، وَفِي إِسْنَادِهِ نَظَرٌ. وَقَدْ قَالَ الْحَافِظُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْبَزَّارُ فِي مُسْنَدِهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ: كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ هَذَا الْبَحْرَ الْغَرْبِيَّ، وَكَلَّمَ الْبَحْرَ الشَّرْقِيَّ فَقَالَ لِلْغَرْبِيِّ: إِنِّي حَامِلٌ فِيكَ عِبَادًا مِنْ عِبَادِي فَكَيْفَ أَنْتَ صَانِعٌ بِهِمْ ؟ قَالَ: أُغْرِقُهُمْ. قَالَ: بَأْسُكَ فِي نَوَاحِيكَ. وَحَرَمَهُ الْحِلْيَةَ وَالصَّيْدَ، وَكَلَّمَ هَذَا الْبَحْرَ الشَّرْقِيَّ فَقَالَ: إِنِّي حَامِلٌ فِيكَ عِبَادًا مِنْ عِبَادِي فَمَا أَنْتَ صَانِعٌ بِهِمْ ؟ قَالَ: أَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَى يَدِي، وَأَكُونُ لَهُمْ كَالْوَالِدَةِ لِوَلَدِهَا. فَأَثَابَهُ الْحِلْيَةَ وَالصَّيْدَ. قَالَ عُلَمَاءُ التَّسْيِيرِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُونَ عَلَى الْعُرُوضِ، وَالْأَطْوَالِ، وَالْبِحَارِ، وَالْأَنْهَارِ، وَالْجِبَالِ، وَالْمِسَاحَاتِ، وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْمُدُنِ وَالْخَرَابِ وَالْعِمَارَاتِ، وَالْأَقَالِيمِ السَّبْعَةِ الْحَقِيقِيَّةِ فِي اصْطِلَاحِهِمْ، وَالْأَقَالِيمِ الْمُتَعَدِّدَةِ الْعُرْفِيَّةِ، وَمَا فِي الْبُلْدَانِ وَالْأَقَالِيمِ مِنَ الْخَوَاصِّ وَالنَّبَاتَاتِ، وَمَا يُوجَدُ فِي كُلِّ قُطْرٍ مِنْ صُنُوفِ الْمَعَادِنِ وَالتِّجَارَاتِ قَالُوا: الْأَرْضُ مَغْمُورَةٌ بِالْمَاءِ الْعَظِيمِ إِلَّا مِقْدَارَ الرُّبْعِ مِنْهَا، وَهُوَ تِسْعُونَ دَرَجَةً، وَالْعِنَايَةُ الْإِلَهِيَّةُ اقْتَضَتِ انْحِسَارَ الْمَاءِ عَنْ هَذَا الْقَدْرِ مِنْهَا ; لِتَعِيشَ الْحَيَوَانَاتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَيَنْبُتَ الزَّرْعُ، وَالثِّمَارُ فِيهِ كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: وَالْأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ فِيهَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَالنَّخْلُ ذَاتُ الْأَكْمَامِ وَالْحَبُّ ذُو الْعَصْفِ وَالرَّيْحَانُ فَبِأَيِ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ [ الرَّحْمَنِ: 10 - 13 ]. قَالُوا: الْمَعْمُورُ مِنْ هَذَا الْبَادِي مِنْهَا قَرِيبُ الثُّلُثَيْنِ مِنْهُ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ قَلِيلًا وَهُوَ خَمْسٌ وَسِتُّونَ دَرَجَةً قَالُوا: فَالْبَحْرُ الْمُحِيطُ الْغَرْبِيُّ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُ أُوقْيَانُوسُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُتَاخِمُ بِلَادَ الْمَغْرِبِ، وَفِيهِ الْجَزَائِرُ الْخَالِدَاتُ، وَبَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ سَاحِلِهِ عَشْرُ دَرَجٍ مَسَافَةُ شَهْرٍ تَقْرِيبًا، وَهُوَ بَحْرٌ لَا يُمْكِنُ سُلُوكُهُ، وَلَا رُكُوبُهُ لِكَثْرَةِ هَيْجِهِ وَاغْتِلَامِهِ وَمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الرِّيَاحِ، وَالْأَمْوَاجِ، وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ صَيْدٌ، وَلَا يُسْتَخْرَجُ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ، وَلَا يُسَافَرُ فِيهِ لِمَتْجَرٍ وَلَا لِغَيْرِهِ، وَهُوَ آخِذٌ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْجَنُوبِ حَتَّى يُسَامِتَ الْجِبَالَ الْقُمْرَ، وَيُقَالُ جِبَالُ الْقَمَرِ الَّتِي مِنْهَا أَصْلُ مَنْبَعِ نِيلِ مِصْرَ، وَيَتَجَاوَزُ خَطَّ الِاسْتِوَاءِ، ثُمَّ يَمْتَدُّ شَرْقًا، وَيَصِيرُ جَنُوبِيَّ الْأَرْضِ، وَفِيهِ هُنَاكَ جَزَائِرُ الزَّنْجِ، وَعَلَى سَوَاحِلِهِ خَرَابٌ كَثِيرٌ، ثُمَّ يَمْتَدُّ شَرْقًا، وَشَمَالًا حَتَّى يَتَّصِلَ بِبَحْرِ الصِّينِ وَالْهِنْدِ، ثُمَّ يَمْتَدُّ شَرْقًا حَتَّى يُسَامِتَ نِهَايَةَ الْأَرْضِ الشَّرْقِيَّةِ الْمَكْشُوفَةِ، وَهُنَاكَ بِلَادُ الصِّينِ، ثُمَّ يَنْعَطِفُ فِي شَرْقِ الصِّينِ إِلَى جِهَةِ الشَّمَالِ حَتَّى يُجَاوِزَ بِلَادَ الصِّينِ، وَيُسَامِتَ سَدَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ، ثُمَّ يَنْعَطِفُ وَيَسْتَدِيرُ عَلَى أَرْضٍ غَيْرِ مَعْلُومَةِ الْأَحْوَالِ، ثُمَّ يَمْتَدُّ مَغْرِبًا فِي شَمَالِ الْأَرْضِ، وَيُسَامِتُ بِلَادَ الرُّوسِ وَيَتَجَاوَزُهَا، وَيَعْطِفُ مَغْرِبًا وَجَنُوبًا، وَيَسْتَدِيرُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ، وَيَعُودُ إِلَى جِهَةِ الْغَرْبِ، وَيَنْبَثِقُ مِنَ الْغَرْبِيِّ إِلَى مَتْنِ الْأَرْضِ الزُّقَاقِ الَّذِي يَنْتَهِي أَقْصَاهُ إِلَى أَطْرَافِ الشَّامِ مِنَ الْغَرْبِ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ فِي بِلَادِ الرُّومِ حَتَّى يَتَّصِلَ بِالْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ، وَغَيْرِهَا مِنْ بِلَادِهِمْ. وَيَنْبَعِثُ مِنَ الْمُحِيطِ الشَّرْقِيِّ بِحَارٌ أُخَرُ فِيهَا جَزَائِرُ كَثِيرَةٌ حَتَّى إِنَّهُ يُقَالُ إِنَّ فِي بَحْرِ الْهِنْدِ أَلْفُ جَزِيرَةٍ وَسَبْعُمِائَةِ جَزِيرَةٍ فِيهَا مُدُنٌ وَعِمَارَاتٌ سِوَى الْجَزَائِرِ الْعَاطِلَةِ، وَيُقَالُ لَهَا: الْبَحْرُ الْأَخْضَرُ. فَشَرْقِيُّهُ بَحْرُ الصِّينِ، وَغَرْبِيُّهُ بَحْرُ الْيَمَنِ، وَشَمَالُهُ بَحْرُ الْهِنْدِ، وَجَنُوبِيُّهُ غَيْرُ مَعْلُومٍ. وَذَكَرُوا أَنَّ بَيْنَ بَحْرِ الْهِنْدِ، وَبَحْرِ الصِّينِ جِبَالًا فَاصِلَةً بَيْنَهُمَا، وَفِيهَا فِجَاجٌ تَسْلُكُ الْمَرَاكِبُ بَيْنَهَا يُسَيِّرُهَا لَهُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَهَا، كَمَا جُعِلَ مِثْلُهَا فِي الْبَرِّ أَيْضًا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًا سُبُلًا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ [ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: 31 ]. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ بَطْلَيْمُوسُ أَحَدُ مُلُوكِ الْهِنْدِ فِي كِتَابِهِ الْمُسَمَّى بِالْمَجِسْطِي الَّذِي عُرِّبَ فِي زَمَانِ الْمَأْمُونِ، وَهُوَ أَصْلُ هَذِهِ الْعُلُومِ أَنَّ الْبِحَارَ الْمُتَفَجِّرَةَ مِنَ الْمُحِيطِ الْغَرْبِيِّ، وَالشَّرْقِيِّ وَالْجَنُوبِيِّ، وَالشَّمَالِيِّ كَثِيرَةٌ جِدًّا فَمِنْهَا مَا هُوَ وَاحِدٌ، وَلَكِنْ يُسَمَّى بِحَسَبِ الْبِلَادِ الْمُتَاخِمَةِ لَهُ فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ البحار المتفجرة من المحيط الغربي والشرقي والجنوبي والشمالي بَحْرُ الْقُلْزُمِ، وَالْقُلْزُمُ قَرْيَةٌ عَلَى سَاحِلِهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ أَيْلَةَ، وَبَحْرُ فَارِسَ، وَبَحْرُ الْخَزَرِ، وَبَحْرُ وَرْنَكَ، وَبَحْرُ الرُّومِ، وَبَحْرُ بَنْطَشَ، وَبَحْرُ الْأَزْرَقِ مَدِينَةٌ عَلَى سَاحِلِهِ، وَهُوَ بَحْرُ الْقَرْمِ أَيْضًا، وَيَتَضَايَقُ حَتَّى يَصُبَّ فِي بَحْرِ الرُّومِ عِنْدَ جَنُوبِيِّ الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ، وَهُوَ خَلِيجُ الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ ; وَلِهَذَا تُسْرِعُ الْمَرَاكِبُ فِي سَيْرِهَا مِنَ الْقَرْمِ إِلَى بَحْرِ الرُّومِ، وَتُبْطِيءُ إِذَا جَاءَتْ مِنَ الْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ إِلَى الْقَرْمِ لِاسْتِقْبَالِهَا جَرَيَانَ الْمَاءِ، وَهَذَا مِنَ الْعَجَائِبِ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مَاءٍ جَارٍ فَهُوَ حُلْوٌ إِلَّا هَذَا، وَكُلُّ بَحْرٍ رَاكِدٍ فَهُوَ مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ إِلَّا مَا يُذْكَرُ عَنْ بَحْرِ الْخَزَرِ وَهُوَ بَحْرُ جُرْجَانَ، وَبَحْرُ طَبَرِسْتَانَ أَنَّ فِيهِ قِطْعَةً كَبِيرَةً مَاءً حُلْوًا فُرَاتًا عَلَى مَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ الْمُسَافِرُونَ عَنْهُ. قَالَ أَهْلُ الْهَيْئَةِ: وَهُوَ بَحْرٌ مُسْتَدِيرُ الشَّكْلِ إِلَى الطُّولِ مَا هُوَ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ مُثَلَّثٌ كَالْقَلْعِ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ مُتَّصِلًا بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ الْمُحِيطِ بَلْ مُنْفَرِدٌ وَحْدَهُ، وَطُولُهُ ثَمَانُمِائَةِ مِيلٍ، وَعَرْضُهُ سِتُّمِائَةٍ. وَقِيلَ: أَكْثَرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ الْبَحْرُ الَّذِي يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَدُّ وَالْجَزْرُ عِنْدَ الْبَصْرَةِ، وَفِي بِلَادِ الْمَغْرِبِ نَظِيرُهُ أَيْضًا يَتَزَايَدُ الْمَاءُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ الشَّهْرِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ فِي زِيَادَةٍ إِلَى تَمَامِ اللَّيْلَةِ الرَّابِعَةَ عَشَرَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ الْمَدُّ ثُمَّ يَشْرَعُ فِي النَّقْصِ وَهُوَ الْجَزْرُ إِلَى آخِرِ الشَّهْرِ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرُوا تَحْدِيدَ هَذِهِ الْبِحَارِ وَمُبْتَدَاهَا وَمُنْتَهَاهَا. وَذَكَرُوا مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْبُحَيْرَاتِ الْمُجْتَمِعَةِ مِنَ الْأَنْهَارِ، وَغَيْرِهَا مِنَ السُّيُولِ، وَهِيَ الْبَطَائِحُ. وَذَكَرُوا مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْأَنْهَارِ الْمَشْهُورَةِ الْكِبَارِ، وَذَكَرُوا ابْتِدَاءَهَا، وَانْتِهَاءَهَا. وَلَسْنَا بِصَدَدِ بَسْطِ ذَلِكَ وَالتَّطْوِيلِ فِيهِ، وَإِنَّمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ عَلَى مَا يَتَعَلَّقُ بِالْأَنْهَارِ الْوَارِدِ ذِكْرُهَا فِي الْحَدِيثِ. وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَأَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَكُمْ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ لِتَجْرِيَ فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْأَنْهَارَ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَائِبَيْنِ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَآتَاكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ [ إِبْرَاهِيمَ: 32 - 34 ]. فَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ مِنْ طَرِيقِ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ صَعْصَعَةَ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمَّا ذَكَرَ سِدْرَةَ الْمُنْتَهَى قَالَ: فَإِذَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَصْلِهَا نَهْرَانِ بَاطِنَانِ، وَنَهْرَانِ ظَاهِرَانِ ; فَأَمَّا الْبَاطِنَانِ فَفِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَأَمَّا الظَّاهِرَانِ فَالنِّيلُ وَالْفُرَاتُ. وَفِي لَفْظٍ فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ " عُنْصُرُهُمَا " أَيْ: مَادَّتُهُمَا أَوْ شَكْلُهُمَا، وَعَلَى صِفَتِهِمَا وَنَعْتِهِمَا، وَلَيْسَ فِي الدُّنْيَا مِمَّا فِي الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا الْأَسْمَاءُ، وَفِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: سَيْحَانُ وَجَيْحَانُ وَالْفُرَاتُ وَالنِّيلُ كُلٌّ مِنْ أَنْهَارِ الْجَنَّةِ. وَقَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ: بسنده عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: فُجِّرَتْ أَرْبَعَةُ أَنْهَارٍ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ الْفُرَاتُ وَالنِّيلُ وَسَيْحَانُ وَجَيْحَانُ. وَهَذَا إِسْنَادٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ مُسْلِمٍ. وَكَأَنَّ الْمُرَادَ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، مِنْ هَذَا أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْأَنْهَارَ تُشْبِهُ أَنْهَارَ الْجَنَّةِ فِي صَفَائِهَا وَعُذُوبَتِهَا وَجَرَيَانِهَا، وَمِنْ جِنْسِ تِلْكَ فِي هَذِهِ الصِّفَاتِ، وَنَحْوِهَا كَمَا قَالَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الْآخَرِ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: الْعَجْوَةُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ، وَفِيهَا شِفَاءٌ مِنَ السُّمِّ. أَيْ تُشْبِهُ ثَمَرَ الْجَنَّةِ لَا أَنَّهَا مُجْتَنَاةٌ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَإِنَّ الْحِسَّ يَشْهَدُ بِخِلَافِ ذَلِكَ فَتَعَيَّنَ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ غَيْرُهُ، وَكَذَا قَوْلُهُ ﷺ: الْحُمَّى مِنْ فَيْحِ جَهَنَّمَ فَأَبْرِدُوهَا بِالْمَاءِ. وَكَذَا قَوْلُهُ: شِدَّةُ الْحَرِّ مِنْ فَيْحِ جَهَنَّمَ. وَهَكَذَا هَذِهِ الْأَنْهَارُ أَصْلُ مَنْبَعِهَا مُشَاهَدٌ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ. نهر النيل أَمَّا النِّيلُ ; وَهُوَ النَّهْرُ الَّذِي لَيْسَ فِي أَنْهَارِ الدُّنْيَا لَهُ نَظِيرٌ فِي خِفَّتِهِ، وَلَطَافَتِهِ، وَبُعْدِ مَسْرَاهُ فِيمَا بَيْنَ مُبْتَدَاهُ إِلَى مُنْتَهَاهُ فَمُبْتَدَاهُ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ الْقُمْرِ أَيِ الْبِيضِ. وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ: جِبَالُ الْقَمَرِ بِالْإِضَافَةِ إِلَى الْكَوْكَبِ. وَهِيَ فِي غَرْبِيِّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَاءَ خَطِّ الِاسْتِوَاءِ إِلَى الْجَانِبِ الْجَنُوبِيِّ. وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهَا حُمْرٌ تَنْبُعُ مِنْ بَيْنِهَا عُيُونٌ، ثُمَّ تَجْتَمِعُ مِنْ عَشْرِ مَسِيلَاتٍ مُتَبَاعِدَةٍ، ثُمَّ تَجْتَمِعُ كُلُّ خَمْسَةٍ مِنْهَا فِي بَحْرٍ، ثُمَّ تَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا أَنْهَارٌ سِتَّةٌ، ثُمَّ تَجْتَمِعُ كُلُّهَا فِي بُحَيْرَةٍ أُخْرَى، ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا نَهْرٌ وَاحِدٌ هُوَ النِّيلُ فَيَمُرُّ عَلَى بِلَادِ السُّودَانِ بِالْحَبَشَةِ، ثُمَّ عَلَى النَّوْبَةِ، وَمَدِينَتِهَا الْعُظْمَى دُمْقُلَةَ، ثُمَّ عَلَى أُسْوَانَ، ثُمَّ يَفِدُ عَلَى دِيَارِ مِصْرَ، وَقَدْ تَحَمَّلَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ بِلَادِ الْحَبَشَةِ زِيَادَاتِ أَمْطَارِهَا، وَاجْتَرَفَ مِنْ تُرَابِهَا، وَهِيَ مُحْتَاجَةٌ إِلَيْهِمَا مَعًا ; لِأَنَّ مَطَرَهَا قَلِيلٌ لَا يَكْفِي زُرُوعَهَا وَأَشْجَارَهَا، وَتُرْبَتَهَا رِمَالٌ لَا تُنْبِتُ شَيْئًا حَتَّى يَجِيءَ النِّيلُ بِزِيَادَتِهِ وَطِينِهِ فَيَنْبُتُ فِيهِ مَا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ، وَهِيَ مِنْ أَحَقِّ الْأَرَاضِي بِدُخُولِهَا فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَسُوقُ الْمَاءَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الْجُرُزِ فَنُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ أَنْعَامُهُمْ وَأَنْفُسُهُمْ أَفَلَا يُبْصِرُونَ [ السَّجْدَةِ: 27 ]. ثُمَّ يَتَجَاوَزُ النِّيلُ مِصْرَ قَلِيلًا فَيَفْتَرِقُ شَطْرَيْنِ عِنْدَ قَرْيَةٍ عَلَى شَاطِئِهِ يُقَالُ لَهَا شَطَنُوفُ فَيَمُرُّ الْغَرْبِيُّ عَلَى رَشِيدٍ، وَيَصُبُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ الْمَالِحِ، وَأَمَّا الشَّرْقِيُّ فَتَفْتَرِقُ أَيْضًا عِنْدَ جَوْجَرَ فِرْقَتَيْنِ تَمُرُّ الْغَرْبِيَّةُ مِنْهُمَا عَلَى دِمْيَاطَ مِنْ غَرْبِيِّهَا، وَيَصُبُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ، وَالشَّرْقِيَّةُ مِنْهُمَا تَمُرُّ عَلَى أَشْمُونِ طَنَّاحٍ فَيَصُبُّ هُنَاكَ فِي بُحَيْرَةٍ شَرْقِيِّ دِمْيَاطَ يُقَالُ لَهَا بُحَيْرَةُ تَنِّيسَ، وَبُحَيْرَةُ دِمْيَاطَ، وَهَذَا بُعْدٌ عَظِيمٌ فِيمَا بَيْنَ مُبْتَدَاهُ إِلَى مُنْتَهَاهُ ; وَلِهَذَا كَانَ أَلْطَفَ الْمِيَاهِ قَالَ ابْنُ سِينَا: لَهُ خُصُوصِيَّاتٌ دُونَ مِيَاهِ سَائِرِ الْأَرْضِ فَمِنْهَا أَنَّهُ أَبْعَدُهَا مَسَافَةً مِنْ مَجْرَاهُ إِلَى أَقْصَاهُ، وَمِنْهَا أَنَّهُ يَجْرِي عَلَى صُخُورٍ، وَرِمَالٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ خَزٌّ وَلَا طُحْلُبٌ وَلَا أَوْحَالٌ، وَمِنْهَا أَنَّهُ لَا يَخْضَرُّ فِيهِ حَجَرٌ وَلَا حَصَاةٌ ; وَمَا ذَاكَ إِلَّا لِصِحَّةِ مِزَاجِهِ، وَحَلَاوَتِهِ وَلَطَافَتِهِ، وَمِنْهَا أَنَّ زِيَادَتَهُ فِي أَيَّامِ نُقْصَانِ سَائِرِ الْأَنْهَارِ، وَنُقْصَانَهُ فِي أَيَّامِ زِيَادَتِهَا، وَكَثْرَتِهَا، وَأَمَّا مَا يَذْكُرُهُ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ أَنَّ أَصْلَ مَنْبَعِ النِّيلِ مِنْ مَكَانٍ مُرْتَفِعٍ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ فَرَأَى هُنَاكَ هَوْلًا عَظِيمًا، وَجَوَارِيَ حِسَانًا، وَأَشْيَاءَ غَرِيبَةً، وَأَنَّ الَّذِي اطَّلَعَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الْكَلَامُ بَعْدَ هَذَا فَهُوَ مِنْ خُرَافَاتِ الْمُؤَرِّخِينَ، وَهَذَيَانَاتِ الْأَفَّاكِينَ. وَقَدْ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ لَهِيعَةَ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَمَّنْ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ: لَمَّا فُتِحَتْ مِصْرُ أَتَى أَهْلُهَا عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ حِينَ دَخَلَ شَهْرُ بَؤُونَةَ مِنْ أَشْهُرِ الْعَجَمِ الْقِبْطِيَّةِ فَقَالُوا: يَا أَيُّهَا الْأَمِيرُ إِنَّ لِنِيلِنَا هَذَا سُنَّةً لَا يَجْرِي إِلَّا بِهَا. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالُوا: إِذَا كَانَ لِثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً خَلَتْ مِنْ هَذَا الشَّهْرِ عَمَدْنَا إِلَى جَارِيَةٍ بِكْرٍ بَيْنَ أَبَوَيْهَا فَأَرْضَيْنَا أَبَوَيْهَا، وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الْحَلْيِ، وَالثِّيَابِ أَفْضَلَ مَا يَكُونُ، ثُمَّ أَلْقَيْنَاهَا فِي هَذَا النِّيلِ. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ عَمْرٌو: إِنَّ هَذَا لَا يَكُونُ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ، وَإِنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ يَهْدِمُ مَا قَبْلَهُ. فَأَقَامُوا بَؤُونَةَ، وَالنِّيلُ لَا يَجْرِي لَا قَلِيلًا وَلَا كَثِيرًا. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فَأَقَامُوا بَؤُونَةَ، وَأَبِيبَ، وَمِسْرَى، وَهُوَ لَا يَجْرِي حَتَّى هَمُّوا بِالْجَلَاءِ، فَكَتَبَ عَمْرٌو إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ بِذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ عُمَرُ إِنَّكَ قَدْ أَصَبْتَ بِالَّذِي فَعَلْتَ، وَإِنِّي قَدْ بَعَثْتُ إِلَيْكَ بِطَاقَةً دَاخِلَ كِتَابِي هَذَا فَأَلْقِهَا فِي النِّيلِ. فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ كِتَابُهُ أَخَذَ عَمْرٌو الْبِطَاقَةَ فَفَتَحَهَا فَإِذَا فِيهَا: مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عُمَرَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِلَى نِيلِ مِصْرَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ إِنَّمَا تَجْرِي مِنْ قِبَلِ نَفْسِكَ فَلَا تَجْرِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُجْرِيكَ فَنَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُجْرِيَكَ. فَأَلْقَى عَمْرٌو الْبِطَاقَةَ فِي النِّيلِ فَأَصْبَحَ يَوْمُ السَّبْتِ، وَقَدْ أَجْرَى اللَّهُ النِّيلَ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ ذِرَاعًا فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، وَقَطَعَ اللَّهُ تِلْكَ السُّنَّةَ عَنْ أَهْلِ مِصْرَ إِلَى الْيَوْمِ. نهر الفرات وَأَمَّا الْفُرَاتُ فَأَصْلُهَا مِنْ شَمَالِيِّ أَرْزَنِ الرُّومِ فَتَمُرُّ إِلَى قُرْبِ مَلْطِيَّةَ، ثُمَّ تَمُرُّ عَلَى سُمَيْسَاطَ، ثُمَّ عَلَى إِلْبِيرَةَ قِبْلِيَّهَا، ثُمَّ تُشَرِّقُ إِلَى بَالِسَ، وَقَلْعَةِ جَعْبَرَ، ثُمَّ إِلَى الرَّقَّةِ، ثُمَّ إِلَى الرَّحْبَةِ شَمَالَيَّهَا، ثُمَّ إِلَى عَانَةَ، ثُمَّ إِلَى هِيتَ، ثُمَّ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، ثُمَّ تَخْرُجُ إِلَى فَضَاءِ الْعِرَاقِ، وَتَصُبُّ فِي بِطَائِحَ كِبَارٍ أَيْ بُحَيْرَاتٍ، وَتَرُدُّ إِلَيْهَا، وَتَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا أَنْهَارٌ كِبَارٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ تَصُبُّ فِي الْبَصْرَةِ. نهر سيحون وَأَمَّا سَيْحَانُ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُ سَيْحُونَ أَيْضًا فَأَوَّلُهُ مِنْ بِلَادِ الرُّومِ، وَيَجْرِي مِنَ الشَّمَالِ، وَالْغَرْبِ إِلَى الْجَنُوبِ وَالشَّرْقِ، وَهُوَ غَرْبِيُّ مَجْرَى جَيْحَانَ، وَدُونَهُ فِي الْقَدْرِ، وَهُوَ بِبِلَادِ الْأَرْمَنِ الَّتِي تُعْرَفُ الْيَوْمَ بِبِلَادِ سِيسَ، وَقَدْ كَانَتْ فِي أَوَّلِ الدَّوْلَةِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ فِي أَيْدِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَلَمَّا تَغَلَّبَ الْفَاطِمِيُّونَ عَلَى الدِّيَارِ الْمِصْرِيَّةِ وَمَلَكُوا الشَّامَ وَأَعْمَالَهَا عَجَزُوا عَنْ صَوْنِهَا، مِنَ الْأَعْدَاءِ فَتَغَلَّبَ نِقْفُورُ الْأَرْمَنِيُّ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْبِلَادِ أَعْنِي بِلَادَ سِيسَ فِي حُدُودِ الثَّلَاثِمِائَةِ وَإِلَى يَوْمِنَا هَذَا، وَاللَّهُ الْمَسْؤُولُ عَوْدَهَا إِلَيْنَا بِحَوْلِهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ. ثُمَّ يَجْتَمِعُ سَيْحَانُ وَجَيْحَانُ عِنْدَ أَذَنَةَ فَيَصِيرَانِ نَهْرًا وَاحِدًا، ثُمَّ يَصُبَّانِ فِي بَحْرِ الرُّومِ بَيْنَ إِيَاسَ، وَطَرْسُوسَ. وَأَمَّا جَيْحَانُ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُ جَيْحُونُ أَيْضًا، وَتُسَمِّيهِ الْعَامَّةُ جَاهَانَ، وَأَصْلُهُ فِي بِلَادِ الرُّومِ، وَيَسِيرُ فِي بِلَادِ سِيسَ مِنَ الشَّمَالِ إِلَى الْجَنُوبِ، وَهُوَ يُقَارِبُ الْفُرَاتَ فِي الْقَدْرِ، ثُمَّ يَجْتَمِعُ هُوَ وَسَيْحَانُ عِنْدَ أَذَنَةَ فَيَصِيرَانِ نَهْرًا وَاحِدًا، ثُمَّ يَصُبَّانِ فِي الْبَحْرِ عِنْدَ إِيَاسَ، وَطَرْسُوسَ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. الْمِيَاهِ الَّتِي تُسَمَّى بِالْبُحَيْرَاتِ : تَشْبِيهًا بِالْبَحْرِ وَلِانْبِسَاطِهَا وَخُرُوجِهَا عَنْ حُدُودِ الْأَنْهَارِ كَبَطَائِحِ الْبَصْرَةِ الْمُتَّصِلَةِ بِدِجْلَةَ، وَبُحَيْرَةِ طَبَرِيَّةَ بِدِمَشْقَ، وَبُحَيْرَةِ بَنَوَاسَ، وَالْمَاءُ الْمُسْتَطِيلُ بِعُمْقِ أَنْطَاكِيَةَ، وَمِيَاهُ الْأَوْدِيَةِ الَّتِي يَسْكُنُ فِيهَا، وَمَاءُ الْمَطَرِ وَمَذَاوِبُ الثُّلُوجِ، وَلَا يَقِفُ أَحَدٌ عَلَى عَدَدِهَا.
Translation
✧ On the seas and rivers Allah, exalted is He, said: And He it is Who has subjected the sea, that you may eat from it tender flesh and extract from it ornaments which you wear, and you see the ships plowing through it, and that you may seek of His bounty, and that perhaps you will give thanks. And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you, and rivers and paths, that perhaps you may be guided, and landmarks, and by the stars they are guided. Is He who creates like one who does not create? Then will you not remember? And if you count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate it. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful [al-Naḥl: 14–18]. And He, exalted is He, said: And not alike are the two seas: this one fresh and sweet, pleasant to drink, and that one salty and bitter, and from each you eat tender flesh and extract ornaments which you wear, and you see the ships plowing through it, that you may seek of His bounty, and that perhaps you will give thanks [Fāṭir: 12]. And He, exalted is He, said: And He it is Who has released the two seas, this one fresh and sweet, and that one salty and bitter, and He placed between them a barrier and a forbidding partition [al-Furqān: 53]. And He, exalted is He, said: He released the two seas, meeting; between them is a barrier, they do not transgress [al-Raḥmān: 19–20]. The meaning of 'the two seas' is: the salty, bitter sea, which is the ujāj, and the sweet sea, which is these rivers flowing between the regions of the lands for the benefit of the servants, as said by Ibn Jurayj and more than one of the imams. And He, exalted is He, said: And of His signs are the ships in the sea like mountains. If He wills, He causes the wind to become still, and they remain motionless on its back. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful. Or He causes them to perish for what they have earned, and He pardons much [al-Shūrā: 32–34]. And He, exalted is He, said: Do you not see that the ships run through the sea by the favor of Allah, that He may show you of His signs? Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful. And when waves cover them like canopies, they call upon Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, some of them are moderate. And none rejects Our signs except every treacherous ingrate [Luqmān: 31–32]. And He, exalted is He, said: Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships which run through the sea with what benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the sky of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its death, and dispersing therein every moving creature, and the directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the sky and the earth, are signs for a people who use reason [al-Baqarah: 164]. So He, exalted is He, bestowed favor upon His servants by what He created for them of seas and rivers. The encompassing sea surrounds all the ends of the earth, and what breaks out from it in its sides is all salty of taste, bitter. In this is a great wisdom for the health of the air; for if it were sweet, the atmosphere would stink and the air would become corrupt, because of the great animals that die in it, which would lead to the destruction of the children of Adam and the corruption of their livelihoods. Thus the consummate wisdom required that it be of this description for this benefit. For this reason, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about the sea, he said: "It is the purifier, its water is pure, its dead are lawful." As for the rivers, wisdom required that their water be sweet, fresh, flowing, pleasant, palatable to drinkers. He made them flowing, moving, causing them to spring forth in one land and driving them to another as provision for the servants. Among them are great and among them are small, according to need and benefit. The scholars of astronomy and geography have spoken about the enumeration of the seas and great rivers, the origins of their sources, and where their courses end, with speech containing wisdom and indications of the power of the Creator, exalted is He, and that He acts by choice and wisdom. The kindled sea His saying, exalted is He: And by the kindled sea [al-Ṭūr: 6]. There are two sayings about it. One of them is that the meaning is the sea that is beneath the Throne, mentioned in the ḥadīth of the wild goats, and that it is above the seven heavens, between its lowest and highest part as between one heaven and another. It is the one from which rain descends before the resurrection, so that bodies are revived from their graves. This saying is the choice of al-Rabīʿ b. Anas. The second is that 'the sea' is a generic noun encompassing all the seas on earth, and this is the saying of the majority. They differed about the meaning of 'the kindled sea.' It was said: the filled one. It was said: it will become on the Day of Resurrection a blazing fire surrounding the people of the standing place, as we mentioned in the commentary from ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, Ibn ʿAbbās, and others. It was said: the meaning is the restrained, held back, guarded one, prevented from overflowing and submerging the earth and those upon it, so they would drown. This was narrated by al-Wālibī from Ibn ʿAbbās, and it is the saying of al-Suddī and others. It is supported by the ḥadīth narrated by Imam Aḥmad: from ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said: "There is no night in which the sea does not loom over them three times, asking Allah, mighty and majestic, for permission to burst upon them, and Allah, mighty and majestic, restrains it." This is among His favors, exalted is He, upon His servants, that He restrained the evil of the sea from overwhelming them and subjected it to carry their ships so that they might reach distant regions for trade and other purposes, and guided them in it by what He created in the sky and the earth of stars and mountains, which He made as landmarks by which they are guided in their travel, and by what He created for them in it of ornaments they wear, of pearls and precious, rare, beautiful, valuable gems that are found only in it, and by the strange creatures He created in it, and made them lawful to them, even its dead, as He, exalted is He, said: Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food [al-Māʾidah: 96]. The Prophet ﷺ said: "It is the purifier, its water is pure, its dead are lawful." And in another ḥadīth: "Two dead things and two bloods have been made lawful to us: fish and locusts, and liver and spleen." Narrated by Aḥmad and Ibn Mājah, and in its chain there is discussion. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Bazzār said in his Musnad, from Abū Hurayrah, raised to the Prophet: Allah spoke to this western sea and spoke to the eastern sea. He said to the western one: "I am placing in you servants of Mine. How will you treat them?" It said: "I will drown them." He said: "Your might is in your edges." And He deprived it of ornaments and game. And He spoke to this eastern sea and said: "I am placing in you servants of Mine. How will you treat them?" It said: "I will carry them on my hand, and be to them like a mother to her child." So He rewarded it with ornaments and game. The scholars of geography who speak about latitudes, longitudes, seas, rivers, mountains, areas, and what is on the earth of cities, ruins, habitations, and the seven true climes in their terminology, and the multiple customary climes, and the characteristics and plants in the lands and climes, and what is found in each region of types of minerals and trade, said: The earth is submerged by the great water except about a quarter of it, which is ninety degrees. The divine providence required the recession of water from this amount of it so that animals might live on it and crops and fruits might grow in it, as He, exalted is He, said: And the earth He laid down for the creatures. In it are fruits, and date palms with sheaths, and grain with husk, and fragrant plants. So which of the favors of your Lord will you deny? [al-Raḥmān: 10–13]. They said: the inhabited part of this exposed land is nearly two-thirds of it or a little more, which is sixty-five degrees. They said: The encompassing western sea is called Oqiyānūs, and it is the one adjacent to the lands of the Maghrib. In it are the Eternal Isles, and between them and its coast are ten degrees, a distance of about a month. It is a sea that cannot be crossed or sailed because of its frequent turbulence, its raging, and the winds and waves in it. There is no game in it, nothing is extracted from it, and it is not traveled for trade or anything else. It goes toward the south until it faces the Qumr mountains, also called the Mountains of the Moon, from which the source of the Nile of Egypt originates, and it crosses the equator, then extends eastward and becomes the southern part of the earth. There are the islands of the Zanj, and on its shores is much ruin. Then it extends east and north until it connects with the Sea of China and India. Then it extends east until it faces the end of the exposed eastern earth, where the lands of China are. Then it turns east of China toward the north until it passes the lands of China and faces the dam of Gog and Magog. Then it turns and circles around a land of unknown conditions, then extends westward in the north of the earth and faces the lands of the Rūs and passes them, then turns west and south and circles around the earth and returns to the western direction. From the western sea there breaks out into the body of the land the strait whose farthest end reaches the borders of Syria from the west, then it enters the lands of the Byzantines until it connects with Constantinople and other of their lands. From the eastern ocean arise other seas with many islands, such that it is said that in the Indian Sea there are one thousand seven hundred islands with cities and habitations, apart from the desolate islands. It is called the Green Sea. Its east is the Sea of China, its west is the Sea of Yemen, its north is the Indian Sea, and its south is unknown. They mentioned that between the Indian Sea and the Sea of China are separating mountains, and in them are passes through which ships travel, guided by the One who created them, just as similar ones were made on land. Allah, exalted is He, said: And We placed in the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with them, and We made therein passes as paths, that perhaps they may be guided [al-Anbiyāʾ: 31]. Ptolemy, one of the kings of India, mentioned in his book called the Almagest, which was translated into Arabic in the time of al-Maʾmūn, and it is the origin of these sciences, that the seas bursting from the western, eastern, southern, and northern ocean are very many. Among them is what is one sea, but it is named according to the lands adjacent to it. Among those are: the Sea of Qulzum, and Qulzum is a village on its coast near Aylah; the Persian Sea; the Caspian Sea; the Sea of Warnak; the Sea of the Romans; the Sea of Bunṭush; and the Blue Sea, a city on its coast, and it is also the Sea of al-Qirm. It narrows until it pours into the Sea of the Romans south of Constantinople, and that is the Gulf of Constantinople. For this reason ships speed in their travel from al-Qirm to the Sea of the Romans, and slow down when coming from Alexandria to al-Qirm because they face the flow of the water. This is among the wonders of the world, for every flowing water is sweet except this one, and every stagnant sea is salty and bitter, except what is mentioned about the Caspian Sea, which is the Sea of Jurjān and the Sea of Ṭabaristān, that in it is a large portion of sweet, fresh water, as travelers have reported about it. The scholars of astronomy said: It is circular in shape, tending toward length. It was said: it is triangular like a sail, and it is not connected to any part of the encompassing sea, but stands alone. Its length is eight hundred miles, and its width is six hundred. It was said: more than that, and Allah knows best. Among those is the sea from which the tide and ebb come at Basra, and in the lands of the Maghrib there is its counterpart. The water increases from the beginning of the month and does not cease increasing until the completion of the fourteenth night, which is the tide, then it begins to decrease, which is the ebb, until the end of the month. They mentioned the delimitation of these seas, their beginnings and ends. They mentioned the lakes on the earth formed by rivers and other streams, which are the marshlands. They mentioned the famous great rivers on the earth, and mentioned their beginnings and ends. We are not in the process of elaborating on that at length. We speak only about the rivers whose mention occurs in the ḥadīth. Allah, exalted is He, said: Allah is He who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you, and subjected for you the ships to run through the sea by His command, and subjected for you the rivers, and subjected for you the sun and the moon, constant in motion, and subjected for you the night and the day, and gave you of all that you asked of Him. And if you count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate it. Indeed, mankind is most unjust and ungrateful [Ibrāhīm: 32–34]. In the two Ṣaḥīḥs, from the path of Qatādah, from Anas b. Mālik, from Mālik b. Ṣaʿṣaʿah: that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when he mentioned the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, said: "Then two hidden rivers and two visible rivers emerge from its root. As for the hidden ones, they are in Paradise; as for the visible ones, they are the Nile and the Euphrates." In a wording in al-Bukhārī: "their source," meaning their substance or their form, and upon their description and attribute; and in this world there is nothing of what is in Paradise except the names. In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, from Abū Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Sayḥān and Jayḥān and the Euphrates and the Nile, each is from the rivers of Paradise." Imam Aḥmad said, with his chain from Abū Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Four rivers were made to burst forth from Paradise: the Euphrates, the Nile, Sayḥān, and Jayḥān." This is a sound chain according to the condition of Muslim. It seems that the meaning, and Allah knows best, is that these rivers resemble the rivers of Paradise in their clarity, sweetness, and flowing, and are of the same kind as those in these qualities and the like, just as he said in another ḥadīth narrated by al-Tirmidhī, from Abū Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The ʿajwah date is from Paradise, and in it is a cure for poison." That is, it resembles the fruit of Paradise, not that it is gathered from Paradise, for sensory perception testifies to the contrary, so it is established that something else is meant. Likewise his saying ﷺ: "Fever is from the heat of Hell, so cool it with water." And likewise his saying: "The intensity of heat is from the heat of Hell." Thus these rivers, the origin of their source is observable from the earth. The Nile River As for the Nile, it is the river that has no equal among the rivers of the world in its lightness, subtlety, and the length of its course between its beginning and its end. Its beginning is from the Qumr mountains, meaning the white ones. Some say: the Mountains of the Moon, in relation to the celestial body. They are in the west of the earth beyond the equator toward the southern side. It is said that they are red, and springs gush from among them, then they gather from ten widely separated channels, then each five of them gather into a sea, then six rivers emerge from them, then all of them gather into another lake, then a single river emerges from it, which is the Nile. It passes through the lands of the Sudan in Abyssinia, then Nubia and its great city Dumqulah, then Aswān, then it arrives at the lands of Egypt, having carried to it from the lands of Abyssinia the increases of its rains and swept from its soil, and Egypt needs both, because its rain is little and does not suffice its crops and trees, and its soil is sand that does not grow anything until the Nile comes with its increase and its mud, and then grows what they need. It is among the lands most deserving to be included in His saying, exalted is He: Have they not seen that We drive water to the barren land and bring forth thereby crops of which their cattle and they themselves eat? Then will they not see? [al-Sajdah: 27]. Then the Nile passes Egypt a little and splits into two branches at a village on its bank called Shaṭanūf. The western branch passes by Rashīd and pours into the salty sea. As for the eastern branch, it also splits at Jawjar into two branches: the western one of them passes by Damietta on its west and pours into the sea, and the eastern one of them passes by Ashmūn Ṭannāḥ and pours there into a lake east of Damietta called the Lake of Tinnīs and the Lake of Damietta. This is a great distance between its beginning and its end, and for this reason it is the subtlest of waters. Ibn Sīnā said: It has special properties not found in other waters of the earth. Among them is that it is the farthest in distance from its source to its end. Among them is that it flows over rocks and sands with no silk, algae, or mud in it. Among them is that no stone or pebble becomes green in it, and that is only because of the soundness of its temperament, its sweetness, and its subtlety. Among them is that its increase is in the days when other rivers decrease, and its decrease is in the days of their increase and abundance. As for what some mention, that the source of the Nile is from an elevated place that some people observed and saw there great terror, beautiful maidens, and strange things, and that whoever observed that cannot speak afterward, that is from the myths of historians and the ravings of fabricators. ʿAbd Allāh b. Lahīʿah said, from Qays b. al-Ḥajjāj, from someone who narrated to him: When Egypt was conquered, its people came to ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ when the month of Baʾūnah of the Coptic non-Arab months entered and said: "O commander, our Nile has a custom without which it does not flow." He said to them: "And what is that?" They said: "When twelve nights have passed of this month, we take a virgin girl between her parents, we satisfy her parents, and we put on her the best ornaments and clothes, then we cast her into this Nile." ʿAmr said to them: "This cannot be in Islam, for Islam demolishes what preceded it." So they stayed through Baʾūnah, and the Nile did not flow, neither little nor much. In another narration: They stayed through Baʾūnah, Abīb, and Misrā, and it did not flow, until they were about to depart. ʿAmr wrote to ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb about that. ʿUmar wrote to him: "You have done right in what you did. I have sent you a card inside this letter of mine, so throw it into the Nile." When his letter arrived, ʿAmr took the card and opened it, and in it was: "From the servant of Allah ʿUmar, Commander of the Faithful, to the Nile of Egypt. Now then, if you flow of your own accord, then do not flow; but if Allah, the One, the Subduer, is the one who makes you flow, then we ask Allah to make you flow." ʿAmr threw the card into the Nile, and by Saturday morning, Allah had made the Nile flow sixteen cubits in a single night, and Allah cut off that custom from the people of Egypt until this day. The Euphrates River As for the Euphrates, its origin is from the north of Arzan al-Rūm. It passes near Malaṭyah, then passes by Sumaysāṭ, then by Ilbīrah to its south, then goes east to Bālis, Qalʿat Jaʿbar, then to al-Raqqah, then to al-Raḥbah to its north, then to ʿĀnah, then to Hīt, then to Kufa, then it emerges into the open space of Iraq and pours into great marshlands, that is, lakes, and returns to them, and from them emerge great, well-known rivers that pour into Basra. The Sayḥān River As for Sayḥān, also called Sayḥūn, its beginning is from the lands of the Romans. It flows from the north and west to the south and east. It is west of the course of Jayḥān and lesser in size. It is in the lands of Armenia, known today as the lands of Sīs. In the early Islamic state, it was in the hands of the Muslims. When the Fāṭimids gained control over the Egyptian lands and took Syria and its provinces, they were unable to protect it from enemies, so Nikephoros the Armenian took control of these lands, meaning the lands of Sīs, around the year three hundred, and it has remained so until this day. We ask Allah to return it to us by His might and power. Then Sayḥān and Jayḥān meet at Adhanah and become one river, then pour into the Sea of the Romans between Iyās and Ṭarsūs. As for Jayḥān, also called Jayḥūn, and the common people call it Jāhān, its origin is in the lands of the Romans, and it runs in the lands of Sīs from north to south. It is close to the Euphrates in size, then it and Sayḥān meet at Adhanah and become one river, then pour into the sea at Iyās and Ṭarsūs, and Allah knows best. On the waters called lakes They are called so by way of comparison with the sea, and because of their expanse and their going beyond the limits of rivers, such as the marshlands of Basra connected to the Tigris, the Lake of Tiberias near Damascus, the Lake of Banawās, the elongated water at the depth of Antioch, the waters of valleys where people dwell, rainwater, and snowmelt, of which no one can count the number.
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