Tafseer of The Sovereignty · Al-Mulk · 67:3
[And] who created seven heavens in layers. You do not see in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So return [your] vision [to the sky]; do you see any breaks?
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the words of the Exalted: الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا مَا تَرَى فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَنِ مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ فُطُورٍ (3) ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنْقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ (4) ("He who created seven heavens in layers one above another; you see no imbalance in the creation of the Most Merciful. So return your gaze: do you see any rift? (3) Then return your gaze twice more: your gaze will turn back to you, wearied and exhausted (4)").
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says, while informing about His attribute: ( الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا ) — "He who created seven heavens in layers," one layer above the other, the one above the other.
And His words: ( مَا تَرَى فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَنِ مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ ) — the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: you see no imbalance in the creation of the Most Merciful, who has created — neither in a heaven, nor on an earth, nor in anything other than that — that is to say: no disparity or irregularity.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have also spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words: ( مَا تَرَى فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَنِ مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ ) — "you see no disparity among them."
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words: ( مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ ) — he said: "disparity."
And the Qurʾān-reciters differed over its recitation. Most of the reciters of Medina and Basra and some of the Kūfa reciters read it: ( مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ ) with an alif. And most of the reciters of Kūfa read it: ( مِنْ تَفَوُّتٍ ) with a doubled wāw without an alif.
And the correct judgment concerning this is that they are two well-known recitations with one and the same meaning, as one says: "wa-lā tuṣāʿir" and "wa-lā tuṣaʿʿir" (do not turn your cheek away); and "taʿahhadtu fulānan" and "taʿāhadtuhu" (I took care of so-and-so); and "taẓahhartu" and "taẓāhartu"; and likewise al-tafāwut and al-tafawwut.
And His words: ( فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ فُطُورٍ )
He says: return the gaze — do you see in it any clefts? It is from the words of Allah: تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِنَّ ("The heavens are about to split apart above them"), with the meaning: they tear and burst open. Al-fuṭūr is the verbal noun of "fuṭira fuṭūran."
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation have also spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning ( هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ فُطُورٍ ) — he said: al-fuṭūr is weakness and decay (al-wahy).
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words: ( هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ فُطُورٍ ) — he says: do you see any flaw, O son of Adam.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning ( مِنْ فُطُورٍ ) — he said: "a flaw."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, concerning ( هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ فُطُورٍ ) — he said: "rifts."
