giant fish of Islamic cosmography
Bahamut
Bahamut is a giant fish or whale which, according to Islamic cosmography, lies in the depths and supports the structure that holds up the earth. The figure comes from Arabic tradition and helps explain how the seas and the world are kept in place.
The myth
According to Islamic cosmography, the earth rests on a series of layers held up from below. Deep down lives Bahamut, a giant fish or whale that floats in the water to keep its balance. On its back it carries a bull called Kuyutha, and on the bull rests a rock of precious stone, rendered as a "ruby" in some translations, on which an angel stands to bear the earth. The creature is so huge that all the seas of the world, placed in one of the fish's nostrils, would look like a mustard seed laid in the desert.
The name is thought to come from the biblical Behemoth, but the original Behemoth never appeared as a fish. Scholars suggest that in Arabic tradition two biblical beasts were confused: the Behemoth was assigned to the fish and the Leviathan to the bull. The texts offer variants: Lutiya, Balhut and Bahamut name the fish depending on the author, while in Ibn Abbas's commentary the name Bahamut belongs to the bull. The beasts are also linked to natural phenomena: the bull's breathing causes the tides, water running back into the sea keeps sea levels steady, and when they stir they cause earthquakes. One account tells how Iblis tried to make the whale shake the earth, but God distracted it by sending gnats to its eyes.
Ancient sources: Al-Tha'labi in his Qisas al-anbiya, Ibn Abbas's tafsir on sura 68 and the geographical work of Yaqut al-Hamawi all record his story.