Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 17

(Ayah 17) ➊ { وَ لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعَ طَرَآىِٕقَ:} Allah Almighty mentioned the creation of man himself as evidence of life after death, which was sufficient for one who reflects, but after that He mentioned the creation of the heavens and the earth and the blessings placed in them, which are far greater creations. As evidence for the Resurrection, Allah Almighty often mentions the creation of the heavens and the earth after mentioning the creation of man, and before or after that, He mentions the Resurrection, as He said: «ءَاَنْتُمْ اَشَدُّ خَلْقًا اَمِ السَّمَآءُ بَنٰىهَا (27) رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوّٰىهَا (28) وَ اَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَ اَخْرَجَ ضُحٰىهَا (38) وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَا» [ النازعات : ۲۷ تا ۳۰ ] "Are you more difficult to create or the heaven? He constructed it. He raised its ceiling and proportioned it. And He darkened its night and brought forth its daylight. And after that, He spread out the earth." Similarly, see Surah Al-Mu’min (57) and the opening verses of Surah As-Sajdah.
➋ { فَوْقَكُمْ :} Wherever you go on the earth, the sky will always be above.
➌ {سَبْعَ طَرَآىِٕقَ:’’ طَرَآىِٕقَ ‘‘ ’’طَرِيْقَةٌ‘‘} is the plural of {’’طَارَقَ يُطَارِقُ‘‘}. The meaning of {’’أَطْرَقَ‘‘} is to layer one over another. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "You will fight the Turks." Then, describing their characteristics, he said: [ كَأَنَّ وُجُوْهَهُمُ الْمَجَانُّ الْمُطَرَّقَةُ ] [ بخاري، الجہاد والسیر، باب قتال الترک : ۲۹۲۸ ] "Their faces will be like shields coated with leather." {’’طَارَقْتُ بَيْنَ الثَّوْبَيْنِ‘‘} "I took two garments, one over the other." The meaning is that these seven heavens are layered one above the other, as He said: « اَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللّٰهُ سَبْعَ سَمٰوٰتٍ طِبَاقًا » [ نوح : ۱۵ ] "Do you not see how Allah created seven heavens in layers?" {’’طَرَقَ يَطْرُقُ ‘‘} (n) also comes in the meaning of { ’’ضَرَبَ‘‘}, and a hammer is called {’’اَلْمِطْرَقَةُ‘‘} for this reason. {’’طَرِيْقٌ‘‘} also means a path, because it is under the feet of those who walk. The heavens are also called {’’طَرِيْقَةٌ‘‘} because they are the routes for the coming and going of angels, the descent of divine commands, and the ascent of deeds, as He said: «اَللّٰهُ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمٰوٰتٍ وَّ مِنَ الْاَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْاَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوْۤا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ وَّ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ قَدْ اَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا » [ الطلاق : ۱۲ ] "Allah is He who created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof. His command descends among them, so that you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge."
➍ { وَ مَا كُنَّا عَنِ الْخَلْقِ غٰفِلِيْنَ : ’’ كُنَّا ‘‘} is for continuity (perpetuity), that is why "never" has been added in the translation. Meaning, it is not that after creating humans and the heavens, We became unaware or disconnected from them, or handed them over to any provider, helper, or granter of treasures—no, this was never the case nor will it ever be. Their existence is maintained only by Our knowledge and power, as He said: «يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْاَرْضِ وَ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَ مَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ وَ مَا يَعْرُجُ فِيْهَا وَ هُوَ مَعَكُمْ اَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ وَ اللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ بَصِيْرٌ » [ الحدید : ۴ ] "He knows what enters the earth and what emerges from it and what descends from the sky and what ascends therein. And He is with you wherever you are. And Allah is Seeing of what you do." And see Surah Al-An’am (59).

17-1. Ṭarāʼiq is the plural of ṭarīqah, meaning the heavens. In Arabic, it also refers to things layered above each other; since the heavens are layered, they are called ṭarāʼiq. Or, ṭarīqah means path, and the heavens are the passageway for angels and the course of stars, so they are called ṭarāʼiq for this reason.

17-2. By خَلَق is meant creation. That is, after creating the heavens, We did not become heedless of Our earthly creation; rather, We have protected the heavens from falling upon the earth so that the creation is not destroyed. Or, it means that We have not become heedless of the interests of creation and their necessities of life, but rather We manage them (Fatḥ al-Qadīr). And some have explained this to mean that whatever comes out from or enters the earth, likewise whatever descends from or ascends to the heavens, all is within His knowledge, and He keeps watch over everything, and everywhere He is with you according to His knowledge (Ibn Kathīr).

17. And We have created above you seven layers (of heavens) [18], and We are never unmindful of Our creation [19].

[18] In the previous verses, Allah Almighty presented the argument related to the self, whose logical conclusion was: ﴿فَتَبٰرَكَ اللّٰهُ اَحْسَنُ الْخٰلِقِيْنَ﴾ Now, a few arguments from the universe are being presented.

The Creation of the Universe and Its Maintenance:

Some scholars have interpreted "sab‘a tara’iq" as the seven heavens or seven layers, as in the statement of Allah: ﴿اَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللّٰهُ سَبْعَ سَمٰوٰتٍ طِبَاقًا....﴾ And some have taken it to mean seven paths, which are the routes for the angels’ coming and going in the heavens. And since the heavens are seven, these paths are also seven. Some scholars have interpreted them as the paths or orbits of the seven planets. Since, at the time of the Quran’s revelation, the Ptolemaic theory of astronomy was considered correct, and according to this theory, there are only seven revolving planets: the Moon, Venus, Mercury, the Sun, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn. Therefore, the Quran mentioned seven paths according to the knowledge and understanding of the people. Although there could be more than this. And "fawqakum" (above you) has one meaning which is commonly understood, and another meaning is that the creation of the heavens, or the planets and their orbits, is much higher and greater than your own creation. This meaning is also supported by this verse of the Noble Quran: ﴿لَخَلْقُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِ اَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ﴾

[19] That is, after creating Our creation, We also continue to maintain it permanently, because anything that is used can, at some point, become faulty; its movement and function can change, and if it is not maintained in time, it can become ruined and destroyed. And we see that the system of the universe is so coherent and organized that not even the slightest difference occurs in it, nor does any collision take place anywhere. This is a strong argument that there is an administrator of this universe who is constantly and strictly maintaining this gigantic creation.