In the movies when somebody dies, assuming that they are a good person, they go to heaven, which is portrayed as somewhere beyond the clouds. Other movies show heaven as beautiful meadows with gorgeous flowers, trees, animals, and lakes. Depending on religious sources and a movie director’s imagination, we see glamorous, luminescent white scenes in heaven. Apart from what a perfect place it is, we have no idea where it might be. Even though we are told about the glamours of Heaven, neither Islamic nor Christian sources tell us much about the location of God’s magnificent creation.

Acknowledging in the first chapter of his The Letters volume that “Only God knows the unseen” (an-Naml 27:65) and “Knowledge is only with God” (al-Mulk 67:26), Said Nursi talks about two Hells, the smaller one and the bigger one. He suggests, some Prophetic traditions (Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa 1:281; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak 4:568) report the smaller Hell to be underground, underneath the earth’s crust at the center of the globe, known as the “core.” We know from geological findings that as we head toward the center of the Earth, the temperature increases immensely. It is known that the temperature near the Earth's center is around 6000 degrees Celsius. Scientists believe that the core of the earth is as hot as the sun. Nursi argues that the Greater Hell to be underneath the Earth’s annual orbit around the Sun, a circle area around the sun, a place for the Great Gathering and Judgment Day. He thinks that when Doomsday comes, like a tiny seed turning into a huge tree, the smaller Hell will be transformed into the bigger one. That is, on Judgment Day, the Earth will cast all its inhabitants into its orbit around the Sun for resurrection. After the Judgment, those who will take their books in their right hands will go to Heaven somewhere above the Earth’s orbit and those who will take their books in their left hands will go to Hell somewhere under the orbit. While offering these ideas, Nursi properly reminds us that the other world is behind a veil of the unseen and it is impossible to see them with the eyes we have in this world.

Although Nursi mentions the place for Hell, he does not refer to a certain place for Heaven. He describes Hell and Heaven as two fruits on the tree of creation, which stretches into infinity. That is to say, they are the two results of the chain of the universe: “They are two pools receiving the flow of two streams, one carrying the wicked and foul while the other carries the good and pure. Paradise is the place where Divine Favor and Mercy manifest themselves, whereas Hell is the place where Divine Wrath and Awe are exhibited.” Both of them serve as an impetus to do good and refrain from bad. The following few verses from the Qur’an paint us a beautiful image of Heaven.

And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit there from, they will say, “This is what we were provided with before.” And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally. (al-Baqarah 2:25)

Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place. (al-Kahf 18:31)

[Other] faces, that Day, will show pleasure. With their effort [they are] satisfied. In an elevated garden, wherein they will hear no unsuitable speech. Within it is a flowing spring. Within it are couches raised high and cups put in place and cushions lined up and carpets spread around. (al-Ghasiyah 88:8-16)

We can also mention a few hadiths telling us about the characteristics of Heaven.

“Abu Huraira reported The Messenger of God (may peace be upon him) as saying that: God the Exalted and Glorious, said: I have prepared for My pious servants which no eye has ever seen, and no ear has ever heard, and no human heart has ever perceived but it is testified by the Book of God. He then recited: ‘No soul knows what comfort has been concealed from them, as a reward for what they did’” (Muslim, Book 40, Number 6780).

“Abu Bakr b. Abdullah b. Qais reported on the authority of his father that the Messenger of God (may peace be upon him) said that in Paradise there would be for a believer a tent of a single hollowed pearl the breadth of which would be sixty miles. It would be meant for a believer and the believers would go around it and none would be able to see the others” (Muslim, Book 40, Number 6804).

“Abu Huraira reported the Messenger of God (may peace be upon him) as saying: Saihan (Oxus), Jaihan (Jaxartes), Euphrates and Nile are all among the rivers of Paradise” (Muslim, Book 40, Number 6807).

We know that God created everything with a purpose including all the stars we see in the sky when the night falls. They say we can see approximately 3,000 stars with the naked eye on a clear night. If we have access to a small telescope, the number of observable stars may increase to 100,000. Moreover, it is estimated there are about 100 billion stars (some estimates say even up to four times more than that) just in our galaxy, the Milky Way. Considering that there are an estimated 100 to 200 billion galaxies visible to us through telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope and keeping in mind the vast number of stars in our own galaxy, the observable universe could contain over a billion trillion stars. Livio suggests that galaxies might exist in other unobservable and unknown universes, meaning the number of galaxies could be even greater.

We know from the Holy books that God created this world and all that is in it to show His own glory, power, and excellence. But what about the billions of stars in countless galaxies? Apart from their existence, we know nothing about them. We need eyes as big as the Sun to see what they are like. According to Said Nursi, countless stars we are unaware of host angels, jinn, and other spiritual beings invisible to the human eye. Just as fish of various colors and sizes swim in the oceans, vast constellations of stars journey through the universe. Surely, their purpose is to display His unique artistry and to inspire His creation to exalt and glorify Him, Al-Khaliq, the Creator. This is not so astounding when we consider that, according to Prophetic tradition, each raindrop descends from the sky with an angel.

Similar to Islam, Christian sources mention many properties of Heaven such that all things are new, there are no tears or pain, there is perfect peace, there are splendid buildings and vineyards, and fruitful gardens; unfortunately, they do not talk about its location. For example:

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

"They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit." (Isaiah 65:21)

"The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." (Isaiah 35:1)

The Bible says, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained" (Psalm 8:3). This verse may imply that Heaven might consist of the stars and galaxies. Another verse says that the future existence of mankind after resurrection will take place on the present Earth, which will be recreated and renewed to its ideal form(see Revelation 21:1-4; Isaiah 65:17-25; John 14:2, 3).

All this considered, I believe the vast collections of planets and stars in the universe may have another profound purpose—one not explicitly found in either Islamic or Christian teachings. Who knows? Perhaps God intends to turn these heavenly bodies into realms of Heaven for His obedient people and other spiritual beings. It is possible that, based on qualities like loyalty, obedience, righteousness, and goodness, individuals might be granted a heavenly domain proportionate in beauty and size. In other words, prophets and messengers may dwell in grander, more magnificent stars than those reserved for a typical believer, whose prayers and deeds were fewer. To illustrate, Islam’s prophet could be given UY Scuti—the largest known star, with a radius around 1,700 times greater than the sun—as his heavenly abode.

Everything is possible for God, “The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be’, and it is” (al-Baqarah 2:117). He can easily transform stars into realms of Heaven for His faithful and righteous followers. Finally, the true location of Heaven is beyond our comprehension. While only God knows the true purpose behind the creation of stars, we, as people of faith, can strive to earn the greatest heavenly reward by engaging in prayer, charity, and good deeds. Surely, the existence of all these celestial bodies reflects His power, wisdom, and grace. Ultimately, Heaven may be anywhere, as the Almighty creates His places of manifestation wherever He wills.

References

• https://www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/how-many-stars-are-there.html#:~:text=Therefore%2C%20using%20a%20very%20rough,anywhere%20up%20to%201024.
• https://www.space.com/25303-how-many-galaxies-are-in-the-universe.html
• https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/where-is-heaven
• https://www.space.com/41290-biggest-star.html