In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Verily, We have adorned the world's heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils. (67:5)

Let's climb a seven-step stairway to understand this verse.

Seven steps

First step:·Just as Earth has its own inhabitants, reality and wisdom require that the heavens have theirs. In Islam, such beings are called angels. Despite its small size and relative insignificance, Earth is alternately filled with, emptied of, and replenished with living and conscious beings. Thus the heavens and their decorated palace-like constellations must have conscious and percipient beings. Just like humanity and jinn, those beings observe the world, study the Book of the Universe, and herald the Divine Lordship's sovereignty.

The universe's Master has embellished and ornamented it with infinite decorations, beauties, and inscriptions, all of which require the existence of contemplative and appreciative eyes to observe and be delighted. Beauty requires a lover, and food is given to the hungry. Humanity and jinn perform such a minute portion of this boundless duty, glorious viewing, and comprehensive worship that countless angels and spirit beings are necessary to perform these infinite and diverse duties and acts of worship.

Prophetic traditions suggest, and the wisdom in the universe's order indicates, that certain kinds of angels use moving bodies, from planets to drops of rain, to tour and view the visible, material world. In addition, certain kinds of animal bodies, from the "green birds" of Paradise to flies, serve as "aircraft" for one kind of spirits. Spirits who enter such bodies view the physical world and creation through those beings' senses. The Creator, Who continuously creates subtle life and enlightened, percipient beings from dense soil and turbid water, must have created many conscious beings from light, even from darkness, who are worthier of a higher life and spirit.

Second step: Earth and the heavens are like two countries, under one government, that conduct important relations and transactions. For example, Earth needs the light, heat, blessings, and forms of mercy (like rain) sent from the heavens. Also, as all Revealed religions confirm and as all saintly scholars who unveil creation's secret truths based on what they have witnessed agree, angels and spirit beings descend to Earth. Thus we may deduce that Earth's inhabitants can ascend to the heavens.

People can travel to the heavens through their mind, vision, and imagination. Freed from or purified of their carnal and material being's gross heaviness, the spirits of Prophets and saints travel in such realms; the spirits of ordinary people do so after death. Since those who are "lightened" and have acquired "subtlety" and spiritual refinement travel there, certain inhabitants of Earth and the air may go to the heavens if they are clothed in an "ideal" body, energetic envelope, or immaterial body or form, and are light and subtle like spirits.

Third step:·The heavens' silence and tranquillity, order and serene regularity, and vastness and radiance show that their inhabitants differ from those of Earth: They obey God and do not quarrel or dispute among themselves, for they are innocent, their realm is vast, their nature is pure, and their stations are fixed. This differs from Earth, where opposites exist side by side, evil is mixed with good, and disputes arise, and the result is conflict and suffering. Conscious beings are tested and forced to compete, which results in progress or regress. This is so for the following reason:

Humanity is the fruit of the Tree of Creation. The fruit of something is its furthest, most delicate and important part. Thus we are the fruit of the universe; a most comprehensive, wonderful, impotent, and weak being; and a most subtle miracle of Power. Given this, Earth, despite its small size and insignificance when compared with the heavens, is the universe's heart and center with respect to its meaning and art, for it is our cradle and dwelling place. Moreover, it exhibits all miracles of the Divine Names and concentrates and reflects God's infinite activity as the Master, Sustainer, Trainer, and Ruler of all beings. It also is the center and pivot of the endless Divine creativity displayed in infinite liberality, especially in the numerous small plant and animal species, as well as the microcosm of samples of all that is found in the Hereafter's truly vast worlds: the speedily operating workshop for eternal textiles, the fast-changing place of copies of eternal scenes, and the narrow, temporary field and tillage rapidly producing seeds for permanent gardens (in the Hereafter).

Due to this immaterial greatness and importance with respect to art, the wise Qur'an puts Earth on a par with the heavens, although it is like a tiny fruit of a huge tree when compared with the heavens. It places Earth in one pan of a pair of scales and the heavens in the other, and repeatedly says, the "Lord of the heavens and Earth" [mentioning both together].[1]

The rapid and constant changes and transformations on Earth require that its inhabitants undergo corresponding changes. As this bounded Earth is the object of Divine Power's countless miracles, the faculties of humanity and jinn are essentially unrestricted, thereby allowing infinite progress and regress. A great field of trial and testing has opened for everyone, from Prophets and saints to Nimrods and devils. Thus the endless evil of Pharaoh-like devils will make them attack the heavens and its inhabitants.

Fourth step:·The Majestic One, the Master, Administrator, and Creator of all worlds, has many titles and Beautiful Names that issue various decrees and perform different functions. For example, the title or Name requiring the angels to help the Companions fight the unbelievers also requires battle between angels and devils, and struggle between the heavens' good and Earth's evil inhabitants. Certainly the All-Powerful One of Majesty, Who holds the unbelievers' souls within His Power's grasp, does not eradicate them with a command or trumpet blast. As the function of being the Master (Sustainer, Upbringer, Controller) of all creatures, and the requirements of His Names the All-Wise and Administrator, He opens a field of testing and contest.

Consider this: A king has many names and titles for his functions. In the department of justice he is known as Just Ruler, in the armed forces as Supreme Commander, in the office of religious affairs as Caliph or Supreme Head of the Church, and in the civil service as Ruler. His obedient subjects call him Gracious Sovereign, while the rebellious call him Overwhelming Ruler.

Sometimes that exalted king, who enjoys absolute sovereignty, does not order rebels to be executed; rather, as a requirement of his title Just Ruler, they are sent to court. Similarly, he does not reward honest, capable officials by personally admitting or directly phoning them. Instead, under his titles relating to the majesty of sovereignty and expedients of government, he opens a field of competition to show how much the officials deserve the reward, and commands his ministers to invite the people to watch. He organizes a welcoming ceremony and, after a magnificent royal testing, publicly rewards and proclaims the winners' worthiness.

As in the above comparison, the Eternal King has numerous Beautiful Names. Through the manifestations of His Majesty and His Grace, He has many titles and qualities essential to His Divine Being. Whichever title and Name requires the existence of light and darkness, summer and winter, and Paradise and Hell, also require that the law of contest should be universal, like the laws of generation and mutual assistance. From the contest of angelic inspirations and satanic whisperings around the heart to the contest between angels and devils in the vast realm of the heavens, they require that law to be all-embracing.

Fifth step: Beings travel between Earth and the heavens, and important necessities for the former are sent from the latter. Given that pure spirits travel to the heavens, evil spirits attempt to do likewise, as they are physically light and subtle. But they are driven off, for they are by nature evil and unclean. The wisdom of Divine Lordship's sovereignty requires a sign or reflection of this important interaction and contest in the visible, material world for conscious beings. This is particularly so for humanity, whose most important duty is observing, witnessing, supervising, and acting as a herald to His significant disposals in the Unseen realm.

He has made rain a sign for us to explain, in physical terms, His countless miracles in spring. He has made apparent (natural) causes point to His art's wonders, so that He may attract the attentive gaze of the inhabitants of the heavens and Earth to witness that amazing exhibition. He displays the vast heavens as a castle, a city arrayed with towers on which sentries are posted, so that the inhabitants of the heavens and Earth may reflect on His Lordship's majesty.

Since wisdom requires the announcement of this elevated contest, there will be a sign for it. Accordingly, other than some stars used as "missiles" for the devils, no atmospheric or "heavenly" event seems appropriate to this announcement. This is just the case with stellar events. They are considered suitable for repulsing devils, for they resemble missiles and signal rockets fired from the formidable bastions of high castles, and, unlike other "heavenly" events, no other function is known for such events. Moreover, this function has been widely known since the time of Adam and witnessed by those who know the reality of things and events.

Sixth step: Since humanity and jinn are potentially inclined to and capable of endless evil and dispute, they recognize no bounds to opposition, rebellion, and transgression. Thus the Qur'an restrains them with such miraculous eloquence, sublime and clear styles, and exalted and evident comparisons and parables that the universe trembles. For example, listen to the awesome warning, fearsome threat, and severe restraining in:

O company of jinn and humanity, if you can penetrate beyond the spheres of the heavens and Earth, then do so. You will not be able to do so save by an authority. Then which of the favors of Your Lord do you deny? There will be sent, unto you both, the heat of fire and fireless smoke, and you will not be helped. (55:33-35)

This suggests: "If you, humanity and jinn, can ignore My Commands, pass beyond My Kingdom's bounds." Such miraculous eloquence breaks their conceited opposition, and shows how helpless and wretched they are in relation to the vast kingdom of God's Lordship and His Sovereignty's grandeur. Such verses, as well as: We have made them missiles for the devils (67:5), in effect say:

Humanity and jinn, despite their abjectness, destitution and weakness, are conceited and refractory, disobedient and obdurate. How dare you rebel against the commands of so glorious a King that the stars, moons, and suns obey His commands like orderlies at the service of an officer. You oppose a Majestic Ruler Who commands soldiers so awesome and obedient that were you to stand against them, they would stone you to death with mountain-sized cannon balls. Your ingratitude causes you to revolt in the realm of a Majestic Sovereign, Whose servants and troops could rout you, despite your size, with mountain-sized or even Earth-sized stars, blazing projectiles, and flames of fire and smoke. If necessary, they could throw Earth in your face and rain down Earth-sized stars like cannon balls on you.

The Qur'an concentrates on certain important points to display Divine Majesty and exhibit the enemies' wickedness. Sometimes it mobilizes the greatest and most powerful causes against the least and weakest thing to show the perfect order, infinite justice, boundless knowledge, and power of wisdom [displayed in it, the universe, and the human social system it builds]. By doing so, the Qur'an seeks to prevent injustice and aggression. For example:

If you (two women) support each other against him [the Prophet], truly God is his protecting Friend, and Gabriel and the righteous among the believers, and furthermore, the angels, are his supporters. (66:4)

What great respect it expresses for the Prophet, and how considerate it is for his wives' rights. This emphasis is only to express the great respect for the Prophet, the importance of two weak beings' (the women) complaints, and to remind others to observe their rights in a way to arouse compassion for them.

Seventh step:·There are many kinds of stars. Everything that shines in the sky can be called a star. The Majestic Creator, the Gracious Maker, created them as jewels in the sky, shining fruits of a vast tree, or floating fishes in an infinite ocean. He made them places of excursion, mounts, or dwelling places for angels. One sort of small star was created to drive off and kill devils. Thus, firing shooting stars to repulse devils may mean:

l A sign that the law of contest also exists in the heavens.

l The heavens contain watchful guards and obedient inhabitants, Divine forces, who do not like earthly evil-doers mixing with and eavesdropping on them.

l Spying devils, representatives of the filth and wickedness on Earth, try to dirty the clean and pure realm of the heavens inhabited by pure beings, and spy on their talk in the name of evil spirits.[2] ·Shooting stars drive them from the heavens' doors.

So, those of you who shut your eyes to the Qur'an's sun and rely on your mind's dim light, open your eyes and climb these seven steps. In the light of the Qur'an's miraculousness, as bright as daylight, see the meaning of the verse cited at the beginning. Taking a star of truth from the heavens of that verse, let's hurl it at the devils in our minds and kill them. Let's also say: "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the evil suggestions of Satan." God's is the perfect proof and the decisive wisdom.

Glory be to You. We only know what You teach us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

[1] Earth may be regarded as equal to the heavens, for it may be argued that "a constant spring is greater than a lake with no inlet." Likewise, a bushel may be seen to be in balance with a hill-sized amount of grain that has been measured with the bushel and heaped somewhere. It is exactly the same with Earth: God Almighty created it to exhibit the works of His art and manifest His Power, as a garden where His Mercy flowers and as a field to cultivate the seeds of Paradise. It functions as a measure to fill and empty the universe of countless worlds of creation, and resembles a spring flowing into the "seas" of the past and the World of the Unseen. Consider the "shirts" woven of creatures in countless forms that Earth changes each year, and the ever-renewed worlds with which Earth is filled each time and then pours into the past into the world of the Unseen. Consider all of these as present before your eyes, and then compare Earth with the somewhat monotonous and plain heavens. You will see that even if Earth does not weigh more than the heavens, it certainly does not weigh less. From this, you may understand the meaning of the Lord of the heavens and Earth.

[2] Unbelieving jinn and their human companions trying to mislead people, especially through sorcery, mediumship, and soothsaying. (Ed.)