Huzoor, please explain the reality of the seven heavens which are mentioned in the Holy Quran. Yes. I have already spoken on the word seven many a time. The word seven is a numerical expression which speaks of perfection. So the seven stands for perfection and also it stands for, in a manner of speaking, eternity because God has created weeks of seven days and they never end.
A week is followed by another and another and another. So this seven, the word seven or the figure seven is constantly repeated. So this is why the Holy Quran as well as Bible earlier spoke of the creation of heaven and earth in six days followed by one in which God is stated to have occupied his throne. So that also comprises seven. So the word seven does not literally mean the seven as we normally understand in human language. The word seven stands for a perfect symbol of eternity or very large expression of something.
So the same seven as I have explained in the, used in the Quran and the Bible stand for eons. You see, the time spreading over 20 billion years is expressed by the word seven. So seven heavens, as I understand, stand for not one universe only but many universes. Each of that universe could be divided into seven categories within that universe. So the scientists have not yet been able to understand the word seven in application to the creation of heaven and earth or heavens in that respect but I am quite sure that as the science progresses, inshallah, they will discover that each universe is further subdivided into seven spaces.
Some categorization has already been made regarding this heaven which is the first sky. The sky of the earth, the Holy Quran also calls it Samad Duniya. This has already been divided into many spheres within it. I do not remember whether they have divided into seven zones or less, perhaps less so far but most certainly each heaven in itself has already been subdivided into several sub-orders and regions. So that is the meaning of the word seven. It continuously goes on multiplying by itself and within itself it goes on splitting into further seven.
That is why Surah Fatiha also comprises seven verses which means something which has endless meaning and you can never reach the ultimate, the last end in it in fact. So that is the meaning of seven heavens, it doesn’t mean you count one, two, three and the universe is finished. Do you understand this? The question was asked regarding the mention of the seven heavens in the Holy Quran. I told them that the word seven is used in Arabic as a religious term. It is not only used in Arabic but it is also used in other religious terms as well. It is used to refer to perfection or perfection or it is used as an endless number.
So the word seven is used for a long period of time, it includes a wide range of topics and it is also used to refer to an endless chain of events. So the seven heavens in the universe does not mean that after the seven heavens the universe will be finished because God is endless and His creation will also be endless. So the seven heavens will be added to the seven heavens and will be added to the seven heavens and will be added to the seven heavens and will be added to the seven heavens. But I think I should explain something which I did not explain in English.
It is possible that the seven heavens which are related to our earth are divided on the number of sevens but there are other universes which are not directly related to us. So the word seven should not mean that after the seven heavens the universe will be finished but rather it means that the number of sevens represents an endless chain of events and there are divisions in every heaven which can reach up to the number of sevens. So our heavens, the heavens of the world which is also referred to in the Holy Qur’an as the heavens of the world, are already being divided by scientists.
These heavens are divided into approximately seven layers. The ozone layer which you hear about is also an internal layer of these seven heavens and each heaven has its own characteristics. So the number of sevens is applied to the perfection and the never-ending universe.
