The first thing that struck Al Salem about the Muʿallaqāt that surrounded the Ka’ba was the fact that there were seven of them. This immediately led Al Salem to draw a parallel with the ṭawāf, the ritual circumambulation of the Ka’ba, which must also be performed seven times. Al Salem began to wonder if this was merely coincidental and found themselves asking: why the number seven?

This question sparked a chain of observations, as was customary in Al Salem’s practice. Al Salem’s work was always the result of such observations and the directions they happened to take at specific moments in life—not necessarily the product of fixed beliefs. Al Salem began by contemplating the obvious: why ṭawāf? Why these circular movements? And again, why exactly seven times?

Verses in order of smallest circle to largest (Source: www.quran.com):

1. “or [anything] smaller than that or greater” (Yunus, 61)

2. “a guidance for the worlds” (Al-Imran, 96)

3. “nor does the night overtake the day” (Ya-Sin, 40)

4. “And the moon - We have determined for it phases” (Ya-Sin, 39)

5. “And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point” (Ya-Sin 38)

6. “each, in an orbit, is swimming” (Ya-Sin, 40)

7. “Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars” (Al-Saffat, 6)

Al Salem speculated whether this might be intended to mirror the cosmos itself—the earth spinning on its axis, the moon orbiting the earth, and both revolving around the sun—all of it operating in perfect synchrony, like an enormous miracle of mechanical precision. From the structure of the atom to the vast stretches of the known universe, everything seemed to move like clockwork. It occurred to Al Salem that existence, as it is known, rests upon a finely tuned, delicate—but undeniably perfect—balance. Al Salem questioned whether any slight alteration in this grand arrangement would change everything. Would existence as it is still be possible? Would humans still exist? And, is it egotistical to even wonder whether the universe is in some way oriented around human existence?

In reflecting on such questions—questions that countless scientists, physicists, astronomers, and philosophers had grappled with before, and no doubt with far more fruitful conclusions—Al Salem admitted to feeling a sense of inadequacy. Yet, as always during moments of confusion or uncertainty, Al Salem turned to the Qur’an in search of answers.

Let me know if you want any stylistic tweaks—more poetic, philosophical, or minimalist, for instance.