“God is He who created seven heavens and of the earth a similar number. Through them all descends His Command: that you may know that God has power over all things, and that God comprehends all things in His knowledge.” (65:12)
Every higher level surrounds, envelops and comprehends the levels lower than it. Every lower level falls under the dominion of the level above it. Every higher level – with respect to that which it encompasses and dominates – can be referred to as a “heaven” or “sky”. Correspondingly, every lower realm can be called an “earth”.
In the same way that light and water descend from the sky to the earth of this physical world, Divine Grace and Mercy is showered down from the spiritual skies and heavens to the realms below. So, the affairs of the earth are made and managed in heaven. “He regulates the affair from the heaven to the earth…”
From these verses, it is possible to divide the three stages spoken of in the previous lessons into further sub-stages, and in so doing, arrive at a number of heavens and earths that fall into a precise vertical hierarchy. In this hierarchy, every heaven surrounds and comprehends the earth below it, while the divine heaven transcends them all. The Qur’an says, “and from beyond them, God is encompassing.” (85:20)
The Prophet in his Nocturnal Ascension (mi’raj), passed through the seven heavens and the Qur’an also speaks of seven heavens and seven earths: “God is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them; the decree continues to descend among them, that you may know that God has power over all things and that God indeed encompasses all things in knowledge.” (65:12)
In a tradition from Imam Rida, upon him be peace, he described sevenfold heavens and earths – one encompassing the other.
The highest level is exclusively heaven, and is not an earth of any level whatsoever. Likewise, the lowest level is exclusively earth, and is not a heaven relative to any other level. Now, of the remaining six levels, each is a “heaven” with respect to the levels below it and is an “earth” in respect of those above it. In this way, seven heavens and seven earths can distinctly be spoken of. These seven heavens are spiritual heavens, not material or worldly skies.
The natural world and all that it contains is “under” and encompassed by them. Now of course in this physical world itself, there exists a heaven (or sky) and an earth pertaining to it. This heaven is the very same sky that is seen by the naked eye, and the same one that is decorated by the stars. The Qur’an says of this sky, “Surely We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of the stars.” (37:6)
The spiritual heavens are, on the other hand, otherworldly, and encompass this material world. It is for this reason that the means of arriving at these heavens and returning from them is not a worldly or materialistic means or method. No rocketship can take you to these heavens….”
(from “Existence and the Fall” by Hamid Parsania)
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Dear Friend,
Many thanks for your post. I would appreciate a link to where one can purchase Hamid Parsania’s book. I have read two chaptres from the book that were serialized in Islam and Science Journal. BarakAllah.
Mohamed Husayn
Salaam alaikum Mohamed,
For information on obtaining Existence and the Fall by Hamid Parsania see my June 10th post.
Wasalaam,
Irshaad
can u plz help me on the 7 skys.i need to know which of our prophets were on them and why were they there.i need the information by thursday because ive got a essay in my mosque.plz could you send the info to my e-mail address.
I think this has been explained further by Attar and Baha’u'llah in his book The Seven Valleys. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Valleys)
Any thoughts on that?
Salaam alaikum Ahmed,
Thanks for your comment.
Avicenna’s visionary recitals and Shurawardi’s metaphysics also delve deeply into this subject. As well, Najm Kobra, Semnani, Lahiji, Shabestari and many others have commented extensively on the congruences between man’s inner nature and the spiritual geography of seven heavens recorded in the Qur’an and in the statements of the Imams. Often, this is portrayed in terms of very detailed and specific visionary experiences described in terms of the seven prophets of one’s being, or seven realms of light, or seven valleys representing spiritual states and metaphysical realms. There is a very vibrant, rich, and fascinating literature available on this subject - one which, I am sure Baha’u'llah would have been aware of, although he has a tendency to write in generalities rather than in the comprehensive and thoroughly elaborated manner of these earlier authors.
Baha’u'llah is describing in a summary form one version of the inner states of the seeker in terms of a journey through seven valleys. The book “Existence and the Fall” however, touches this subject in terms of attempting to clarify the metaphysical geography, the multi-layered hierarchical terrain, the layered structure of reality spoken of in the Qur’an and commented upon by so many generations of scholars and visionary seekers.
I would recommend reading as many of the above mentioned authors as possible if for no other reason than to gain an appreciation for the depth and breadth of metaphysical commentary available in the Islamic tradition.
what does seven heaven means?? in the Holy Qura an Rabul us samawathi wal urz is mentioned. from where you got the seven earth???
please emphasis on the seven heaven by scientific assertions
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