Question:
Is there any hikmah and secret behind number seven? My question is due to many verses of the Quran which emphasize on this, such as the creation of heavens, tawaf around the Kaaba as well as saie, prostrating on 7 parts of the body and eating 7 seeds of ajwa dates to avoid sorcery. Please give us some enlightenment.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all It is undeniable that all of the above mentioned in the Quran and authentic hadith of the Prophet PBUH.
وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّـهِ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
“And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses; not for them was the choice. Exalted is Allah and high above what they associate with Him.”
(Surah al-Qasas: 68)
Al-Imam Ibn Kathir (774h) states in his tafseer that Allah tells all of His creations that He is the One who creates and makes decisions. His power is unbeatable of all and no one can ever defy Him. [See Tafsir Al-Quran al-‘Azim. Dar al-Taybah, 6/251]
It is clear in the stated verse that Allah SWT is the Most Gracious. He creates something, then it is in His hand to decide in every single thing. No one can ever question Him.
Pertaining the number seven which is being mentioned here and there in the Quran as well as the hadith, no one ever know the real answer to this. No one ever discover the secrets behind it.
Al-Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyah (751h) in his book, Zaad al-Maad mentioned the specification of the number seven in which it happens as the natual arrangement (qadar) and syari’e arrangement. Allah creates seven layers of heavens and earth, seven days, the seven phase of the creation of man, the seven times of tawaf, the seven times of sai’e, stoning at the jamarat with seven stones and the first seven takbir for ‘Eid prayers. Later, Ibn Qayyim mentioned in his last words on this issue, “It is undeniable that this number (seven) has its own specialties that none other than that may have”. He added further, “And Allah is the All-Knowing of the reasons behind it and why He chooses seven as the number..” [Refer Zaad al-Ma’aad. Muassasah al-Risalah, 4/90-91]
Al-Imam al-Nawawi also stated in his book al-Minhaj Syarh Sahih Muslim that number seven is one of the absolute knowledge, only known by Allah and it is beyond our understanding to uncover the secrets within. However, our obligation is to prove our belief in Him. It is also the case for other numbers in this Shari’a, like number of prayers in a day, nisab of the zakat and many more. [Refer al-Minhaj Syarh Sahih Muslim. Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi. 14/3]
Conclusion
Referring to the question asked, we think that this issue is included in one of the tawaqquf and ta’abbud matters (things that cannot be understood, but rather believed to prove our faith in Allah). These things need solid and authentic evidences if we want to claim on the secrets within. It is also included in ghayr ma’qul li al ma’na (things that cannot be understood by our limited mind). This is the case when we question why tawaf is seven times, why sai’e is also seven and many more. It is beyond a man’s understanding because it is fated by the Creator of the Universe Himself, Allah SWT.
As fo this, we also leave the secrets be with Allah by quoting what was being said by al-Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah rahimahullah, “Allah is the All-Knowing of the secrets, the hikmah and the reasons”.