Allah holds the sea in place so that it does not overrun; “does not overrun” means it does not flood the dry land. Some scholars add that the barzakh is a subtle partition lying between the encircling ocean and the other seas which, in relation to it, are no more than gulfs. Between them stands this barzakh, and they say its presence is sensed from the fish: species that live in one body of water do not live in the other, or the reverse. This shows that the two waters are distinct even though they lie side by side—between them is a barzakh.

These, then, are three scholarly interpretations, and never—neither among the earlier scholars nor the later ones—did anyone of learning claim that the verse refers to Fāṭimah and ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib. Such notions are but the fantasies of the Rāfiḍah; may Allah protect us.

They likewise invoke His words, “and We have enumerated everything in a clear register” (Yā Sīn 12), insisting that this describes ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.

Explanation

What connection does the wording have with their claim? “And We have enumerated everything in a clear register” means in a record that a person consults, follows, sees with his own eyes, and in which he finds the tally of his deeds. What has that to do with ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib? Yet they say: ‘ʿAlī is an imam, manifest, eloquent, a revealer of truth; therefore everything Allah has enumerated is contained in this man—“We have enumerated everything in a manifest imam.”’ This clearly shows that they ascribe knowledge of the unseen to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, for they maintain: ‘Everything We have enumerated—where is it? In this imam,’ meaning that it dwells within him. Hence they hold that ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib possesses knowledge of both the unseen and the seen equal to that possessed by Allah; thus everything