The Twelfth Flash

Furthermore, the verse does not explicitly say “seven layers of the earth.”

The outward meaning of the verse is: “He created the earth in a manner similar to the seven heavens and made it a dwelling place for His creatures.” It does not say: “I created it in seven layers.” The similarity refers to its being created and to its being made a dwelling place for creatures.

Second: although the globe of the earth is very small in relation to the heavens, it is the exhibition place, manifestation place, gathering place, and centre of countless Divine works of art. Just as the heart stands in relation to the body, so too the globe of the earth stands before the vast heavens as a heart and a spiritual centre.

For this reason, it is understood from the verses of the Qur’an that the earth possesses seven layers, referring to the following meanings and aspects:

First: the earth has, on a small scale, seven climatic zones known since ancient times.

Second: it has seven continents, known as Europe, Africa, Oceania, the two Asias, and the two Americas.

Third: together with the seas, it comprises seven known regions of the world: east, west, north, south, the regions of this hemisphere, and those of the New World.

Fourth: from its centre to its outer crust, it possesses seven connected and diverse layers, whose existence is established by wisdom and science.

Fifth: it contains seventy simple and elementary constituents that form the basis of life, as well as the well-known seven universal categories of elements referred to as the “seven layers.”

Sixth: together with the four elements—water, air, fire, and earth—the three kingdoms of creation, namely minerals, plants, and animals, form seven categories, known as the “seven layers.”

Seventh: according to the testimony of numerous ahl-i kashfSpiritually elevated people who, by Allah’s permission, can perceive certain matters of the unseen. and ahl-i shuhūdSpiritually elevated people who, by Allah’s grace, can perceive certain unseen realities., the earth is the dwelling place and world of various conscious and living beings, such as jinnSpiritual beings created from smokeless fire., ifrītsA class of powerful jinn, traditionally described as possessing extraordinary strength and abilities. An ifrīt is mentioned in The Qur’an 27:39., and other creatures, and in this respect it possesses seven worlds.

Eighth: as an indication of the existence of seven other earth-like worlds that serve as dwellings for life—that is, as an allusion to seven earthly globes—the earth also possesses seven layers.

This eighth meaning, mentioned last, is important from another point of view and is not included among those seven. Thus it becomes clear that, in seven kinds and seven ways, the earth possesses seven layers.