Nooh (Noah)

15. Don't you know how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another?

16. And has made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a brilliant lamp?

Against the obdurate polytheists, Prophet Noah (as) produced his logical and meaningful arguments in the preceding blessed Verses to make them acquainted with the depth of their being so that they may experience the material realm. He called them to behold and examine the Divine Signs in the great world of creation and intended to familiarize them with the spiritual realm.

Beginning with the heaven, he asks:

“Don't you know how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another?”

The Arabic verbal noun tibaq denotes comparison and contrast at times implies being laid on top of something and also harmony and accord between two things; both latter senses are herein intended. The former reflects that the seven heavens are created one above another as mentioned above in the exegesis regarding the seven heavens.

An exegesis worthy of note is that whatever is observed by armed and unarmed eyes concerning the celestial bodies constitutes the first heaven on which six other heavens are created one above the other, defying modern science, though man may be able to discover those surprising and vast realms one after the other in future.

The seven heavens were treated in details above under 2:29.

The blessed Verse 16 says that God Almighty has made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a brilliant lamp. It is true that billions of brilliant celestial bodies, far more brilliant than the suns and moon in our solar system exist in the seven heavens, but the latter two are of significance in our life since they give light in the day and at night respectively.

The Arabic word

siraj (“lamp”)

implying the sun and the word

nur (“light”)

reflect that the light of the sun are engendered from within in the manner of a lamp, but that of the moon is from without, since it is a reflection of the former.

Thus, the word nur, which is broader in its semantic domain, is applied herein. Such different expressions are reflected elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an. Further details in this respect were mentioned under 10:5.