Ayah 55:22

يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ

“From both of them emerge pearls and coral (or smaller/larger pearls).”

Beauty in the seas اللؤلؤ — Pearls المرجان — Coral

Beauty spotlighted

Symbols of beauty

Pearls and Marjaan

- اللُّؤْلُؤُ (Al-Lu’lu’) “Pearls” and الْمَرْجَانُ (Al-Marjaan) “Coral or larger/smaller gems” are symbols of beauty and not necessities.

Focus redirected

Attention to the seas’ beauty

Here Allah is focusing our attention to the beauty in the seas rather than its functional uses such as for food, travel and trade.

“From both of them” — emergence

Phrase insight

يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا

“Emerge or come out of both of them” – Pearls and Marjaan “come out from both these seas.”

Reading variants
يَخْرُجُ — implies that the Lu’lu’ and Marjaan come out themselves. يُخْرَجُ — implies the meaning of being brought out.

“Both worlds” understanding

Seen and unseen

If the two seas are referring to the seen and unseen worlds, then this would mean that pearls and coral come out from the unseen world as well as the seen.

The connection between pearls and the unseen world is made apparent by descriptions in other passages.

Surah Al-Waqi’ah

كَأَمْثَالِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ الْمَكْنُونِ

“The likenesses of well-preserved pearls” (23)

Surah At-Tur

وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ غِلْمَانٌ لَّهُمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لُؤْلُؤٌ مَّكْنُونٌ

“There will circulate among them [servant] boys [especially] for them, as if they were well-preserved pearls” (24)

In this Surah

كَأَنَّهُنَّ الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ

“It is as if they are rubies and Marjaan (coral).”

Lexical notes

اللُّؤْلُؤُ (Al-Lu’lu’)

Pearls.

الْمَرْجَانُ (Al-Marjaan)

Coral or smaller/larger gems.

Key takeaways

  • The ayah highlights the beauty gifted within the seas: pearls and Marjaan, not their necessities.
  • “From both of them” indicates emergence from both seas.
  • Two canonical readings enrich meaning:
    • يَخْرُجُ — they emerge (themselves).
    • يُخْرَجُ — they are brought out.
  • If “both” refers to seen and unseen worlds, pearls and Marjaan relate to both—supported by descriptions likening beings to well‑preserved pearls and to rubies and Marjaan.
Ayah 22