23:17 Al-Muminoon (The Believers)

لما ذكر تعالى خلق الآدمي، ذكر سكنه، وتوفر النعم عليه من كل وجه فقال: { وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ } سقفا للبلاد، ومصلحة للعباد { سَبْعَ طَرَائِقَ } أي: سبع سماوات طباقا، كل طبقة فوق الأخرى، قد زينت بالنجوم والشمس والقمر، وأودع فيها من مصالح الخلق ما أودع، { وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ الْخَلْقِ غَافِلِينَ } فكما أن خلقنا عام لكل مخلوق، فعلمنا أيضا محيط بما خلقنا، فلا نغفل مخلوقا ولا ننساه، ولا نخلق خلقا فنضيعه, ولا نغفل عن السماء فتقع على الأرض، ولا ننسى ذرة في لجج البحار وجوانب الفلوات، ولا دابة إلا سقنا إليها رزقها { وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا } وكثيرا ما يقرن تعالى بين خلقه وعلمه كقوله: { أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ } { بَلَى وَهُوَ الْخَلَّاقُ الْعَلِيمُ } لأن خلق المخلوقات، من أقوى الأدلة العقلية، على علم خالقها وحكمته.

لما ذكر تعالى خلق الإنسان عطف بذكر خلق السموات السبع وكثيرا ما يذكر تعالى خلق السموات والأرض مع خلق الإنسان كما قال تعالى " لخلق السموات والأرض أكبر من خلق الناس " وهكذا في أول " آلم " السجدة التي كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقرأ بها صبيحة يوم الجمعة في أولها خلق السموات والأرض ثم بيان خلق الإنسان من سلالة من طين وفيها أمر المعاد والجزاء وغير ذلك من المقاصد. وقوله " سبع طرائق " قال مجاهد يعني السموات السبع وهذه كقوله تعالى " تسبح له السموات السبع والأرض ومن فيهن " " ألم تروا كيف خلق الله سبع سموات طباقا " " الله الذي خلق سبع سموات ومن الأرض مثلهن يتنزل الأمر بينهن لتعلموا أن الله على كل شيء قدير وأن الله قد أحاط بكل شيء علما " وهكذا قال ههنا " ولقد خلقنا فوقكم سبع طرائق وما كنا عن الخلق غافلين " أي ويعلم ما يلج في الأرض وما يخرج منها وما ينزل من السماء وما يعرج فيها وهو معكم أينما كنتم والله بما تعلمون بصير وهو سبحانه لا يحجب عنه سماء سماء ولا أرض أرضا ولا جبل إلا يعلم ما في وعره ولا بحر إلا يعلم ما في قعره يعلم عدد ما في الجبال والتلال والرمال والبحار والقفار والأشجار " وما تسقط من ورقة إلا يعلمها ولا حبة في ظلمات الأرض ولا رطب ولا يابس إلا في كتاب مبين ".

His Sign in the creation of the Heavens

After mentioning the creation of man, Allah then mentions the creation of the seven heavens. Allah often mentions the creation of the heavens and earth alongside the creation of man, as He says elsewhere:

لَخَلْقُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَكْـبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ

(The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind) 40:57. A similar Ayah appears at the beginning of Surat As-Sajdah, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite on Friday mornings. At the beginning it mentions the creation of the heavens and earth, then it says how man was created from semen from clay, and it also discusses the resurrection and rewards and punishments, and other matters.

سَبْعَ طَرَآئِقَ

(seven Tara'iq.) Mujahid said, "This means the seven heavens." This is like the Ayat:

تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَـوَتُ السَّبْعُ وَالاٌّرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ

(The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him) 17:44

أَلَمْ تَرَوْاْ كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَـوَتٍ طِبَاقاً

(See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another) 71:15

اللَّهُ الَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَـوَتٍ وَمِنَ الاٌّرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الاٌّمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِّتَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمَا

(It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof. His command descends between them (heavens and earth), that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah surrounds all things in (His) knowledge) 65:12 Similarly, Allah says here:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعَ طَرَآئِقَ وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ الْخَلْقِ غَـفِلِينَ

(And indeed We have created above you seven Tara'iq, and We are never unaware of the creation.) meaning, Allah knows what goes into the earth and what comes out of it, what comes down from heaven and what goes up into it. He is with you wherever you are, and Allah sees what you do. No heaven is hidden from Him by another and no earth is hidden from Him by another. There is no mountain but He knows its features, and no sea but He knows what is in its depths. He knows the numbers of what is in the mountains, the hills, the sands, the seas, the landscapes and the trees.

وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعْلَمُهَا وَلاَ حَبَّةٍ فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ رَطْبٍ وَلاَ يَابِسٍ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَـبٍ مُّبِينٍ

(And not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.) 6:59

وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً بِقَدَرٍ فَأَسْكَنَّاهُ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَإِنَّا عَلَى ذَهَابٍ بِهِ لَقَـدِرُونَ

And verily We created above you seven paths that is seven heavens tarā’iq is the plural of tarīqa so called because they are the paths used by the angels and of creation that lies beneath these paths We are never unmindful lest these should fall upon them and destroy them. Nay but We hold them back as stated in the verse And He holds back the heaven lest it should fall upon the earth Q. 2265.

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعَ طَرَ‌ائِقَ

And We created upon you seven paths (heavens) - 23:17

طَرَ‌ائِقَ is the plural of طَرِیقَۃ which may also be used as a synonym for طَبقَہ (tier) in which case the meaning would be that Allah created seven skies overhead row upon row in tiers. The other and more common meaning of the word طَرِیقَۃ is "road" or "passage" in which case the verse would mean that these skies provide a path for the angels who bring commands from Allah to the earth.

وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ الْخَلْقِ غَافِلِينَ (And We were never neglectful of the creation - 23:17). The verse means that Allah did not just abandon man after creating him, but was ever mindful of his needs and provided the means for his sustenance and growth. To this end He first created the skies and from the skies He sent forth rains upon the earth which then produced food for men's nourishment.

The Divine system of providing water to meet human needs

وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ الْخَلْقِ غَافِلِينَ وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ الْخَلْقِ غَافِلِينَ

And We sent down water from the sky in due measure, then We lodged it in the earth, and of course, We are able to take it away. - 23:18

We indeed created above you seven paths and We were not heedless of creation. In the allusion of the lords of recognitions and the deduction of the folk of understanding, the seven paths allude to the seven veils that the Exalted Lord created in the Adamic makeup. With them He keeps him veiled from seeing the subtleties and finding the realities. First is the veil of intel- lect, second the veil of knowledge, third the veil of the heart, fourth the veil of the soul, fifth sense perception, sixth desire, and seventh will. Intellect keeps the Adamite occupied with this world and with governing his livelihood so that he will be held back from the Real. Knowledge pulls him into the playing field of bragging with his peers so that he will stay in the valley of boasting and vying for increase. The heart puts him into the station of courage and stout-heartedness so that he will fall into temptation in the arenas of champi- ons by craving for fame in this world, so much so that he will have no concern for his religion or its victory. The soul is itself the greatest veil and the enemy of the religion. “Your worst enemy is the soul that is between your two sides.” If you gain the upper hand over it, you will win, but otherwise, you will fall such that you will never rise again. Here “sense perception” is appetite, “desire” is dis- obedience, and “will” is lassitude. Appetite and disobedience are the veil of the common people, and lassitude is the veil that keeps the elect of the Presence from the road of the Reality. Any talk that keeps you back from the road-let it be unbelief or faith. Any picture that holds you back from the Friend-let it be ugly or beautiful. [DS 51] He mentioned these seven veils. Then, after that, He said, “And We were not heedless of creation. Despite all these veils before the servant, We do not put him aside, nor are We heedless of him.” With the first part of the verse He threatens the servant with His severity and justice, and at the end He makes him hope for His bounty and generosity. The traveling of the wayfarers is built on this rule: first fear, then hope.