Epigraph:
It is God who created seven heavens and a similar numbers of earths. His command descends throughout them. So you should realize that He has power over all things and that His knowledge encompasses everything. (Al Quran 65:12)
Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times
The Quran, revealed over 1,400 years ago, mentions intriguing concepts like “seven heavens” and “seven earths.” While the ancient audience understood these ideas within the limits of their worldview, contemporary interpretations often draw parallels with modern scientific discoveries, such as the vast expanse of galaxies and potentially habitable planets. This article explores the Quranic perspective alongside the work of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in discovering other “earth-like” planets.
At the time of the Hajj, believers are supposed to circumnavigate the Kaaba seven times to completely and holistically direct their attention to God. Then, they run between Safa and Marwa in remembrance of the struggle of mother Hajira, who ran back and forth between the two hillocks in search of water for her young son Ishmael some eighteen hundred years before the common era.In Arabic, the number seven frequently symbolizes abundance or a large, unspecified number. For example, believers perform seven rounds around the Kaaba during Hajj, and the Quran mentions the “seven heavens” several times to denote the vastness of divine creation. Surah Al-Mulk (67:2-4) describes these heavens as being in perfect harmony and free of flaws:
He is the Mighty, the Forgiving; Who created the seven heavens, in harmony. You will not see any flaw in what the Lord of Mercy creates. Look again! Can you see any flaws? Look again! And again! Your sight will turn back to you, weak and defeated.The “seven earths” are referenced only once (Quran 65:12), possibly indicating numerous earth-like entities in the universe. The Quran’s subtle mention avoids overwhelming its initial audience, allowing contemporary readers to appreciate the broader implications with modern scientific insights. Other verses that talk about seven heavens are 2:29, 17:44, 23:17, 23:86, 41:12, 65:12, 71:15 and 78:12.
Over the past few decades, cosmology has significantly evolved, largely due to advancements in observational tools like the Hubble Space Telescope and, more recently, the James Webb Space Telescope. Initial estimates in the 1990s suggested the universe contained around 100-200 billion galaxies. However, later studies, including those led by Christopher Conselice in 2016, suggested this figure could reach two trillion galaxies when accounting for faint and distant objects.
Such findings align metaphorically with the Quranic description of “seven heavens,” which modern Muslims may interpret as the incomprehensible scale of the cosmos. SETI focuses on detecting signals or evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. One significant area of research involves studying exoplanets—planets orbiting other stars—that lie within the “habitable zone,” where conditions may allow liquid water to exist. Since the discovery of the first exoplanet around 51 Pegasi in 1995, thousands of such planets have been identified, many of which are Earth-sized and orbit Sun-like stars. Recent advancements with instruments like the Kepler space telescope have allowed astronomers to estimate that there may be as many as 300 million potentially habitable planets in the Milky Way alone. These findings suggest that one in five stars could host planets capable of supporting life. Such work provides critical data for the Drake Equation, which estimates the number of intelligent civilizations within our galaxy. In the seventh century seven heavens meant whatever the early Arab Muslims understood it to be. For us seven heavens mean the two trillion galaxies. Surah Ash-Shuraa (42:29) of the holy Quran states: “And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the living creatures that He has dispersed throughout them. And He has the power to gather them together when He wills.” The use of da’bbah (living creatures that move along the surface) indicates physical beings, not spiritual entities, suggesting the presence of life forms in both the heavens and the earth. This verse not only hints at existence of intelligent life in other planets, but also prophesies their meeting. Until 1995, planets around other ordinary stars were no more than a conjecture. But in that year, two Swiss astronomers measured the slight wobble of the star 51 Pegasi, and opened up what is today one of the most energetic research disciplines in astrobiology: the hunt for, and quest to characterize, extrasolar planets (exoplanets). Given its interest in life beyond Earth, it’s hardly surprising that the SETI Institute is part of this effort. In the two decades since the discovery of the world around 51 Pegasi, thousands of exoplanets have been uncovered using the Kepler space telescope. Many Institute scientists are part of the Kepler research team, and others participate in the Kepler outreach program. While the first discovered exoplanets were bloated gas giants (Jupiter-size or larger), often orbiting very close to their home stars, the increasing sensitivity of exoplanet experiments has caused a shift in the type of planets being found. They are now predominately smaller worlds, comparable or somewhat larger than Earth. This augurs well for the existence of large numbers of habitable worlds in the cosmos, and tentative estimates suggest that as many as one-in-five or one-in-ten stars will harbor such bio-friendly planets. In addition to Kepler, SETI Institute researchers have been using the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), a state-ofthe-art instrument in Chile that is able to directly photograph and characterize young Jupiter-size worlds around nearby stars. Some of the newly discovered exoplanets have become priority targets for the Institute’s SETI experiments.[iii] The Drake Equation is a probabilistic argument that details the factors to consider when estimating the potential number of technologically advanced civilizations in the galaxy that could be detected. The Drake Equation is also often considered to be a roadmap for astrobiology and guides much of the research at the SETI Institute. To develop a reasonable estimate, the researchers looked at exoplanets similar in size to Earth and thus most likely to be rocky planets. They also looked at so-called Sun-like stars, around the same age as our Sun and approximately the same temperature. Another consideration for habitability is whether the planet could have the conditions necessary to support liquid water.[iv] What was the early Muslims’ understanding of the seven earths in the Quran? Seyyed Hossein Nasr writes in his recent multi-editors commentary of the verse 65:12, quoting a distinguished companion of the prophet Muhammad:Ibn ʿAbbās reportedly said regarding this verse, ‘Were I to tell you of the interpretation of it, you would disbelieve, and your disbelief would be your denial of it.’ He is also reported to have said, ‘Seven lands: in each land there is a prophet like your prophet, and an Adam like Adam, and a Noah like Noah, and an Abraham like Abraham, and a Jesus like Jesus.’
This interpretation resonates with modern scientific findings, where researchers propose the existence of Earth-like planets within the vast network of two trillion galaxies. For modern man, the seven earths mean as many as 300 million earth-like planets in the Milky Way and many more in the two trillion galaxies.
In summary, SETI’s integration of exoplanet research into its search strategies underscores the importance of identifying potentially habitable worlds. The increasing number of known exoplanets within habitable zones bolsters the possibility that intelligent life may exist elsewhere in the universe, guiding SETI’s ongoing efforts to detect extraterrestrial civilizations. Not only the above two quotes from the holy Quran, 65:12 and 41:29 talk about extraterrestrial life, but in the very first chapter, Surah Al-Fatiha, Allah is described as the “Lord of all worlds” (Rabb al-‘Alamin), implying the existence of multiple realms or worlds under divine lordship. The term ‘Alamin can refer to various worlds or universes, suggesting that life may exist beyond our planet.SETI’s integration of exoplanet research underscores humanity’s quest to understand its place in the cosmos. The Quran’s references to “seven heavens” and “seven earths” inspire reflection on the universe’s vastness and the possibility of life beyond Earth. As science progresses, the intersection of religious insight and empirical discovery continues to fuel humanity’s search for meaning in an expansive, awe-inspiring universe.
References AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
[i] https://www.space.com/25303-how-many-galaxies-are-in-the-universe.html [ii] https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-reveals-observable-universe-contains-10-times-more-galaxies-than-previously-thought [iii] https://www.seti.org/research/Exoplanets [iv] https://www.seti.org/press-release/how-many-habitable-planets-are-out-thereCategories: Extraterresterial life, Highlight, Quran
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