Billows upon billows of successive darkness...

                  When the rays of sunlight hit the surface of an ocean, some of them are reflected back, few are shielded by the barriers that prevent them from penetrating below and the rest penetrate below the ocean surface. When these penetrating rays go deeper and deeper, they are gradually and progressively absorbed in several layers, by the ocean water. The upper layer of the ocean absorbs the red color rays, within the depth of around ten meters. The sequence of absorption continues successively in the order of orange, yellow, green, blue and so forth. Consequently, the ocean becomes progressively darker and darker. This successive disappearance of one color at a time constitute what is known as an advancing layered darkness. Beyond a certain depth, all the seven colors of light rays are absorbed and the total darkness prevails. 

Below are excerpts from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia Deluxe, 
1998 edition, explaining the contemporary scientific rationale on this subject. 

   "Far below the limit of light penetration in the ocean is the abyssal zone, which lies below about 6,560 feet. The major environmental features of such depths are pressures greater than 200 atmospheres, or 2,940 pounds per square inch; temperatures ranging from 30o to 41o F (-1o to 5o C); total darkness; calm, relatively motionless water; and soft sediments on the ocean floor. Green plants cannot grow in the absence of light--that is, below about 1,970 feet (600 meters)--so the primary energy source of deep-sea life is organic matter that falls from waters much closer to the surface...      

Modern exploration of the undersea world had its beginnings in June 1943, when Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan invented the first scuba--or self-contained underwater breathing apparatus--diving device, which they called the Aqua-lung. Scuba gear allows divers to breathe compressed air from tanks carried on their backs."  
                                         (End of excerpts)

        The pearl divers normally dive 5 to 10 meters below the surface to collect the shells. Without an Aqua-lung or a special breathing device, a man cannot dive beyond 20 meters. The first Diving Bell made out of wood was constructed in 1716 by Edmund Halley, the discoverer of Halley's Comment. To known that there exists a kind of total darkness under the depths of vast deep ocean and such darkness is covered in stages upon stages or layers by layers, in the sixth century when the Qur'an was revealed needs divine intervention.

Or like the darkness on the deep sea when covered by billows riding upon billows, above which are clouds: darkness upon darkness. When a man reacheth forth his hand, he cannot nearly see it! He to whom God shall not give light, no light at all hath he! 
                         Translation by Reverend J. M. Rodwell

Or they are as shadows upon a sea obscure covered by a billow above which is a billow, above which are clouds, shadows piled one upon another; when he puts forth his hand, wellnigh he cannot see it. And to whomsoever God assigns no light, no light has he.
                         Translation by Arthur J. Arberry

Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of 
darkness in a vast deep ocean overwhelmed with 
billow topped by billow topped by (dark) clouds: depths 
of darkness one above another: if a man stretches out 
his hand he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah 
giveth not light there is no light! 
                         Translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Transliteration:'aw ka- z.ulumaat fe bah.r lujjey yaghshaa -hu mawj min fawqi -him mawj min fawqi -him sah.aab z.ulumaat bacd. -haa fawqa bacd. 'idhaa akhraja yad -hu lam yakad yaraa -haa wa- man lam yajcal 'allaah la- -hu nor(an) fa- maa la- -hu min nor.   (Holy Qur'an 24 : 40) 

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