وَلَقَد زَيَّنَّا السَّماءَ الدُّنيا بِمَصابيحَ وَجَعَلناها رُجومًا لِلشَّياطينِ ۖ وَأَعتَدنا لَهُم عَذابَ السَّعيرِ
We have certainly adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and made them missiles against the devils, and We have prepared for them the punishment of the blaze.
EXEGESIS
Zayyannā is from the root tazyīn, which means to make something beautiful.
Dunyā: closest, lowest, lower. It is from the root dunuww, meaning closeness and proximity, or from the root danī, meaning low and inferior. Dunyā is the comparative adjective for a feminine noun (it is the feminine of adnā). Thus, al-samāʾ al-dunyā means the closer or closest sky, or the lower or lowest sky. This world is called dunyā because it is relatively closer to us than the hereafter. Or, because it is the lowest plane of existence, for it is furthest away from perfection because of being material and limited. Or, it is called dunyā because anything in this world – whether good or bad, joy or pain – is low in terms of size, worth, and durability.
Maṣābīḥ: lights, lamps. The term has been mentioned in nakarah form (indefinite and unknown), which conveys a sense of magnifying and exalting these lamps. Or it might be in order to imply that there are a variety and multitude of such lamps.
Rujūm is from the root term rajm, which means to throw stones at someone or something. Thus, rujūm means the means by which the devils are repelled and warded off (37:8-9).
Shayāṭīn is the plural of shayṭān (Satan). The plural form indicates that Satan is not alone, but has companions, armies, tribes, and children (2:14, 6:112, 6:121, 7:27, 17:27, 17:64, 18:50, 23:97-98).
Saʿīr: something that has immense heat and is highly fervent. It is one of the names of hell that has been mentioned in many verses in the Quran. In certain verses or narrations, it might refer to a specific level of hell, as opposed to the other levels such as laẓā, ḥuṭamah and hāwiyah. It has also been said that it is the name of one of the seven gates of hell.
EXPOSITION
The adornment and protection of the lowest heavens are two more signs and proofs for God’s blessedness, kingdom, and power, and are also the means for the well-being and perfection of mankind. Not only is there no disorder or discordance in the heavens – as mentioned in the previous verses – but they have actually been adorned and decorated. This applies not only to the lowest heaven, but to anything created by God: [God is] who perfected everything that He created (32:7).
The chapter flows from top to bottom: it starts with talking about God’s kingdom, which embraces everything; moves on to the seven heavens; here it mentions the lowest heaven and the devils; and the next verse will talk about human beings. This verse also links the previous discussion about the creation of heavens to the discussion that follows concerning the hereafter by talking about the prevention of the devils from ascending above the lowest heaven.
This verse is among a series of verses that talk about the adornment of the lowest heaven and the repulsion of the devils. The other verses on this topic are: Certainly We have appointed houses in the sky and adorned them for the onlookers; and We have guarded them from every outcast Satan; except someone who may eavesdrop, whereat there pursues him a manifest flame (15:16-18); Indeed We have adorned the lowest heaven with the finery of the stars, and to guard from any froward devil. They do not eavesdrop on the highest council but are shot at from every side, to drive them away, and for them there is a constant punishment, except him who snatches a snatch, whereat there pursues him a piercing flame (37:6-10); We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and guarded them (41:12); Indeed we made for the heaven and found it full of mighty sentries and flames. We used to sit in its positions to eavesdrop, but anyone listening now finds a flame waiting for him (72:8-9).
The lamps that have been mentioned in this verse as adornments of the lowest sky are none but the stars mentioned in 37:6 and the houses or constellations (burūj) mentioned in 15:16. Therefore, when the Quran talks about the seven heavens, it is not talking about seven corporeal heavens, for every star and heavenly body would only make the lowest heaven.
This interpretation of the seven heavens complies with what these verses say about the devils (which are of the jinn): they cannot go above the first heaven, for they are warded off and repelled by piercing and manifest flames.
The lamps of the lowest heaven mentioned in this verse include both the relatively fixed stars, and the moving planets, meteors, and shooting starts. The fixed stars are the houses or constellations (burūj) by which the sky is adorned. The shooting stars are the flames (shihāb) by which the devils are repelled.
It is important to not take these verses in the corporeal sense. These verses clearly talk about stars and piercing, manifest flames; however, they talk about these things in the context of eavesdropping on the highest council (al-malaʾ al-aʿlā) – which is apparently one of the immaterial realms, about which even the Prophet does not know except for what is revealed to him (38:69). Thus, the stars and flames mentioned in these verses should be interpreted accordingly, such that they would be appropriate to ways of protecting the superior realms. The general concept of a star or piercing flame is not limited to its material instances or examples. Furthermore, sometimes the limited knowledge of the audience may require the speaker to express what he intends in words and examples that the audience can grasp. But that does not mean that these phrases and examples should be taken in the corporeal sense that we are accustomed to.
In other words, a shihāb is a piercing light that travels through heaven. If one is talking about the material heaven, then the shihāb in discussion would be material, and if one is talking about the spiritual and immaterial heavens, then the shihāb would be immaterial, accordingly. The same is true about many other Quranic concepts such as the pen (qalam), the Throne (ʿarsh and kursī), and the tablet (lawḥ).
Here, the first part of the verse is clearly concerning the world of matter and stars as corporeal heavenly bodies: We have certainly adorned the lowest heaven with lamps. However, the second part of the verse talks about the same stars as means of fending off and preventing the devils from eavesdropping on the higher heavens, which are supernatural and immaterial: and made them missiles against the devils. Thus, it must be that the lamps subsist and operate in two planes of existence: the material plane and the immaterial plane. In the corporeal world, they have the property of being the ornaments of the lowest heaven, and in the immaterial world (which could itself include several realms), their immaterial existence serves as a means to keep off the devils from penetrating into the higher realms. In other words, the heavenly bodies have immaterial souls and spirits like every other existent in the corporeal world, as it has been proven in philosophy and mentioned in many verses in the Quran.
It may be questioned: if this is only a matter of immaterial penetration by the devils into the immaterial realms, why should they even try to reach the lowest heaven – which is material – in the first place? The immaterial realms are beyond space and location, so why cannot the devils seek their objective right here on the earth? The answer is that the devils are jinn, which are corporeal beings, though they have immaterial souls like human beings. The material conditions of a corporeal being do build into its capacity of receiving immaterial diffusions or reaching out to the supernatural realms. The same is true for the immaterial activities of human beings: if one’s body is situated in an uncomfortable place or an unfitting situation, then that person cannot ponder upon and solve mathematical equations as he could in normal conditions (though pondering and thinking are the acts of the soul). Thus, the devils find the condition of being distanced from the earth and closer to the stars more suitable for connecting to the immaterial realms.
Based on the above verses, the devils cannot even get into the higher realms or eavesdrop on what goes on above the lowest heaven. Thus, the rajm or repulsion that is mentioned means prevention before occurrence, not removal after entrance.
This idea has been mentioned more generally elsewhere in the Quran: Indeed, those who deny Our signs and are disdainful of them – the gates of the heaven will not be opened for them, nor shall they enter paradise until the camel passes through the needle’s eye, and thus do We requite the guilty (7:40). The higher heavens are spiritual realms, the gates of which are closed upon the devils and any evildoer – who is a follower of the devils.
The curse and repulsion that is mentioned in this verse is a continuation and manifestation of the curse and repulsion that Satan received from God for refusing to prostrate to Adam: He said: ‘Begone hence, for you are indeed an outcast, and indeed the curse shall lie on you until the Day of Retribution’ (15:34-35).
Thus, the devils are prevented and repelled from hearing the news and realities of the unseen (ghayb). That means that they cannot have access to the source of things that happen in this corporeal world, for everything that occurs here is rooted in the above realms: There is not a thing but that its sources are with Us, and We do not send it down except in a known measure (15:21). This verse can also be an allusion to the falsity and baselessness of various types of divination and astrology, especially those types that involve connecting with the jinn.
The verse further confirms the truth and authenticity of the Quran, and that this holy book has not been adulterated or manipulated by the devils: It [the Quran] has not been brought down by the devils. Neither does it behove them, nor are they capable [of doing that]. Indeed, they are kept at bay [even] from hearing it … They descend on every sinful liar. They eavesdrop, and most of them are liars (26:210-212 and 26:222-223). Indeed, an important message of the verses that talk about the incapability of devils to reach the higher realms might be to emphasise the purity of the Quran and the means of its descent: It is not the speech of an outcast Satan (81:25). Hence, these verses vindicate the Prophet of the accusation of being majnūn (demented, afflicted by devils; 15:6, 37:36, 44:14, 52:29, 68:2, 68:51, 81:22). This is confirmed by the use of the same term raṣad (guard, watcher) for both the protection of the heavens from the devils (72:9) and the protection of revelation from them (72:27).
It is noteworthy that God directs the attention of the reader to the beauties and adornments of nature. He wants us to appreciate the beauties of His creation, for: ‘Indeed He is beautiful and loves beauty.’ This also suggests and implies that we should also seek beauty and try to adorn ourselves, and that is by trying to be best in conduct, as mentioned in verse 2. What makes human beings beautiful has been mentioned elsewhere in the Quran: But Allah has endeared faith to you and made it beautiful in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you faithlessness, transgression, and disobedience. It is such who are the right-minded (49:7).
Moreover, the verse inspires the idea that a person can also forefend the devils from reaching the heaven of his thoughts and intentions by adorning himself with faith and self-restraint, and being equipped with the missiles of God’s remembrance: When those who are self-restrained are touched by a visitation [or insinuation] of Satan, they remember [Allah] and, behold, they perceive (7:201).
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- Imam Ali (a) described the heavens and the stars as: ‘Then He placed the firmaments of the heavens therein [in the space] and positioned its ornaments of gleaming and glittering stars. And He fired piercing flames at anyone who snatches the news [of the higher heavens].’
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Many exegetes up to the last three centuries have interpreted the seven heavens in the Quran according to the Ptolemaic system of planetary motion without any question. However, this verse clearly states that any star that we see only makes the lowest heaven. The Quran is not so explicit about natural sciences and astronomy, and therefore it is difficult to ascribe any views in favour or against a scientific theory to the holy book.
It has been reported from Ibn Abbas that the devils were not blocked from the heavens until the time of Prophet Jesus (a), during which they were blocked from three heavens (heavens five, six, and seven), and then at the time of the Holy Prophet they were blocked from all seven heavens. The latter is alluded to in Sūrat al-Jinn (72:8-9). This complies with the perfection of God’s guidance for mankind, whereby the means of deception and false divination are blocked. It could also suggest that the pronoun in and made them missiles against the devils may refer to the lowest heaven (and not to lamps), though the other verses on this subject may suggest otherwise. Finally, it justifies the prevalence of truthful divination and astrology that has been reported from the yore, such as the forecasting of the births of Prophet Abraham (a) and Prophet Moses (a) and how they would rise against the unjust kings of their time.
[1] Tahqiq, under z-y-n.
[2] Raghib; Lisan; Bahrayn, under d-n-w. Also see Jawādī Āmulī, Tasnīm, 17/243. Apparently, the only real root is dunuww (meaning closeness), and danī (meaning low and inferior) also reduces to the same root – in the sense that something inferior is close in terms of rank and position. Maqayis, under d-n-y.
[3] Lisan; Raghib, under ṣ-b-ḥ.
[4] Alusi, 15/9.
[5] Lisan, under r-j-m.
[6] Tahqiq; Raghib, under z-y-n.
[7] Rahmah, 4/358.
[8] Razi, 30/583; Tibyan, 10/60.
[9] Mizan, 17/123.
[10] Mizan, 17/130.
[11] See verse 8 for the Quranic and philosophical discussions of this topic.
[12] Ḥusaynī Tehrānī, Ufuq-e Waḥy, p. 424ff.
[13] Razi, 30/585; also see Nahj, sermon 79.
[14] Kafi, 6/438, h. 1 and 4.
[15] Nahj, sermon 91.
[16] Baghawi, 3/45; Tabrisi, 6/107.