Number Seven as a Symbol in the Quran and the Apocalypse

Muslim interpreters and thinkers have never used phenomenological and liberal approach to holy texts and religion. Generally speaking، religious interpreters and thinkers'' research are formed in an intra-religion context. Therefore، Islamic interpretations do not much expound the roots and symbolic meanings of the Quranic verses. Few discussions about the symbolic meaning in the Quran can provide the theme of a comparative review. The present paper briefly studies the symbolic meaning of the number seven which is mostly interpreted as «multiplicity» and «perfection». While western interpreters and scholars of religion have fully discussed about the roots and reasons for mentioning «number seven» in Apocalypse، the most important approach used by scholars of religion and Christians is that using number seven in Apocalypse is symbolic in order to show multiplicity or perfection. This paper seeks to investigate the existence of the principle of symbolism in the Quran and Bible and provide a comparative review of the symbolic meaning of number seven in the Quran and the Apocalypse.