What does « The sea / The flood » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word The sea / The flood (اليم) in the Quran, with 7 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

اليم

The sea / The flood

Root: ء - ل - م

Quranic language 7 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of The sea / The flood

Al-yamm: the sea, the ocean.

Allah says: 'Cast him into the sea (al-yamm)' (Al-Qasas: 7), and: 'We drowned them in the sea' (Al-A'râf: 136).

Yammamtu kadhâ means: I headed toward such thing.

Al-tayammum (dry ablution) comes from this root because one turns toward pure earth.

Allah says: 'Perform tayammum with pure earth' (An-Nisâ': 43).

The sea / The flood in the Quran (7)

Meccan: 7 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Ta-Ha 3

Al-Qasas 2

Al-A'raf 1

Adh-Dhariyat 1

Surah Al-A'raf : 136 Meccan

﴿فَٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا غَـٰفِلِينَ﴾

So We took retribution from them, and We drowned them in the sea because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them.

Surah Ta-Ha : 39 Meccan

﴿أَنِ ٱقْذِفِيهِ فِى ٱلتَّابُوتِ فَٱقْذِفِيهِ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ فَلْيُلْقِهِ ٱلْيَمُّ بِٱلسَّاحِلِ يَأْخُذْهُ عَدُوٌّۭ لِّى وَعَدُوٌّۭ لَّهُۥ ۚ وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةًۭ مِّنِّى وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَىٰ عَيْنِىٓ﴾

[Saying], 'Cast him into the chest and cast it into the river, and the river will throw it onto the bank; there will take him an enemy to Me and an enemy to him.' And I bestowed upon you love from Me that you would be brought up under My eye.

Surah Ta-Ha : 78 Meccan

﴿فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِۦ فَغَشِيَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمْ﴾

So Pharaoh pursued them with his soldiers, and there covered them from the sea that which covered them,

Surah Ta-Ha : 97 Meccan

﴿قَالَ فَٱذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ أَن تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًۭا لَّن تُخْلَفَهُۥ ۖ وَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِكَ ٱلَّذِى ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًۭا ۖ لَّنُحَرِّقَنَّهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ نَسْفًا﴾

[Moses] said, "Then go. And indeed, it is [decreed] for you in [this] life to say, 'No contact.' And indeed, you have an appointment [in the Hereafter] you will not fail to keep. And look at your 'god' to which you remained devoted. We will surely burn it and blow it into the sea with a blast.

Surah Al-Qasas : 7 Meccan

﴿وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِى وَلَا تَحْزَنِىٓ ۖ إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ﴾

And We inspired to the mother of Moses, "Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the messengers."

Surah Al-Qasas : 40 Meccan

﴿فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ ۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ﴾

So We took him and his soldiers and threw them into the sea. So see how was the end of the wrongdoers.

Surah Adh-Dhariyat : 40 Meccan

﴿فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُۥ فَنَبَذْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌۭ﴾

So We took him and his soldiers and cast them into the sea, and he was blameworthy.