water vapour. Vapour is the smoke of water, just as the smoke arising from the earth is smoke. And if “smoke” is taken to mean dust alone, or the smoke of dust and water, in all these cases Allah tells us that He created the seven heavens from another substance, just as He tells us that He created man from a substance and the jinn from a substance.

It is authentically reported in Sahīh Muslim from ‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from what has been described to you.”

It is also authentically reported in Sahīh Muslim from ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Amr that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah decreed the destinies of all creatures fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne was upon the water.”

In Sahīh al-Bukhārī, ‘Imrān ibn Husayn reports that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah was, and there was nothing before Him. His Throne was upon the water. He wrote everything in the Record and created the heavens and the earth.”

In another authentic version: “Then He created