بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Mu'minun 23:17
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 342
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمۡ سَبۡعَ طَرَآئِقَ وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ ٱلۡخَلۡقِ غَٰفِلِينَ ١٧
And We have created above you seven layered heavens, and never have We been of [Our] creation unaware.
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Commentary on 23:17
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 السَّمَوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَكْبَرُ 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 السَّمَوَتُ 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 سَمَوَتٍ طِبَاقاً
(See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another) 71:15
اللَّهُ الَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَوَتٍ 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 غَفِلِينَ
(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 ظُلُمَتِ الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ رَطْبٍ وَلاَ يَابِسٍ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَبٍ 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 لَقَدِرُونَ
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23:1
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ١
Certainly will the believers have succeeded:
23:2
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ فِي صَلَاتِهِمۡ خَٰشِعُونَ ٢
They who are during their prayer humbly intent
23:3
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَنِ ٱللَّغۡوِ مُعۡرِضُونَ ٣
And they who turn away from ill speech
23:4
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِلزَّكَوٰةِ فَٰعِلُونَ ٤
And they who are observant of zakāh
23:5
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ ٥
And they who guard their private parts
23:6
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ ٦
Except from their wives or those their right hands possess,1 for indeed, they will not be blamed -
1 translator’s note
- Female slaves or captives under their ownership. ↩
23:7
فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ ٧
But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors -
23:8
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ ٨
And they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive
23:9
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَٰتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ ٩
And they who carefully maintain their prayers -
23:10
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡوَٰرِثُونَ ١٠
Those are the inheritors
23:11
ٱلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلۡفِرۡدَوۡسَ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ ١١
Who will inherit al-Firdaus.1 They will abide therein eternally.
1 translator’s note
- The highest part of Paradise. ↩
23:12
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِن سُلَٰلَةٖ مِّن طِينٖ ١٢
And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay.
23:13
ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰهُ نُطۡفَةٗ فِي قَرَارٖ مَّكِينٖ ١٣
Then We placed him as a sperm-drop1 in a firm lodging [i.e., the womb].
1 translator’s note
- Or "as a zygote." ↩
23:14
ثُمَّ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلنُّطۡفَةَ عَلَقَةٗ فَخَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡعَلَقَةَ مُضۡغَةٗ فَخَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡمُضۡغَةَ عِظَٰمٗا فَكَسَوۡنَا ٱلۡعِظَٰمَ لَحۡمٗا ثُمَّ أَنشَأۡنَٰهُ خَلۡقًا ءَاخَرَۚ فَتَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ أَحۡسَنُ ٱلۡخَٰلِقِينَ ١٤
Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allāh, the best of creators.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the most skillful and only true Creator. ↩
23:15
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُم بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ ١٥
Then indeed, after that you are to die.
23:16
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ تُبۡعَثُونَ ١٦
Then indeed you, on the Day of Resurrection, will be resurrected.
23:17
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمۡ سَبۡعَ طَرَآئِقَ وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ ٱلۡخَلۡقِ غَٰفِلِينَ ١٧
And We have created above you seven layered heavens, and never have We been of [Our] creation unaware.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy