Man’s outlook of the universe has undergone a sea change consequent to the phenomenal advances he has made in the realm of astronomy today. Approximately a century ago, it was a time when the universe was so small and confined that it prided itself on no more than a handful of plainly visible stars. And even a couple of more centuries earlier to that it was considered to be a geo-centric one. But the rapid strides of science and technology during the twentieth century with the invention of a range of powerful telescopes and the constant space explorations greatly contributed to the emergence of the other dazzling and immensely illuminating face of the universe, rendering the older concept a tinny and miserable speck in relation to the mind-blowing and boundless sea of the emerging one. It has, thus, discovered in the universe more than 100 billion galaxies, each one of them inhabited by hundreds of billions of Sun-like or many times still bigger stars. And our very own Milky Way galaxy is home to around 400 billion stars. These numbers are so enormous that if only the stars of our one single Galaxy are to be dispersed among the present inhabitants of the Earth, then each one of us would be richer by at least 60 of them!
All that is visible to our naked eyes in the sky is around a mere 6,000 stars. All of them are the members of our own Galaxy, and lie in the immediate neighbourhood of the Sun. They are located in one of its spiral arms at a distance of around 25,000 light years from its core. Apart from these adjoining stars, nothing is usually visible to the plain eyes across the length and breadth of the night sky. Thus, whatever is directly visible to us bears absolutely no significance in comparison to the Galaxy, let alone the amazing universe. Accordingly, the entire universe lies far beyond our eyesight, to be felt or figured out with the help of some extremely powerful telescopes alone. Its true expanse could also be discerned from the fact that the far-flung galaxies are located at such inconceivable distances as billions of light years in every direction. Every galaxy varies from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of light years in diameter, and lies millions of light years away from the neighbouring one. Even the average distance between the stars of the Galaxy is five light years.
The true picture of the universe was revealed to us consequent to the invention of some of the most advanced telescopes in the twentieth century. As a result, modern astronomy is striving relentlessly in order to figure out as to what might exist in this gigantic universe. Do more solar systems similar to our own exist in the Galaxy or elsewhere? If they do, then do they possess terrestrial planets, or simply earths similar to the Earth? If yes, then do they harbour life or the intelligent one as well? What might be the form of life there? Does man exist only in this precise part of the universe and in the obscure outskirts of the Galaxy, or he enjoys many more similar abodes as well?
Science enjoyed a rather easy and comfortable ride till this point. It did not prove much difficult for it to sit back on the Earth and realize the true expanse and the broader picture of the universe chiefly by studying and analysing the electromagnetic radiations emanating from the heavenly bodies. But, the real challenge it is confronted with today is in finding other Earth-like planets in space and life in them. There is no denying of the fact that it is an extremely demanding task and a difficult terrain. Science is very much aware of the limitations is this field. It is proving to be next to impossible for it just to venture out of the Solar System physically to reach the nearest star located at a distance of 4.3 light years or 40 trillion kilometres. Let alone this nearest star, man hasn’t been able to land even on Mars, our neighbourhood planet situated at eight hundred thousand times nearer to it or merely 50 million kilometres away. The same range of powerful telescopes that greatly enabled science to fathom billions of light years deep into the universe and picture the distant galaxies and other celestial bodies with great accuracy have failed miserably in detecting the planets revolving around even the nearest stars. This is because the light and other electromagnetic radiations radiated by them are billions and trillions of times fainter than their parent stars, rendering the telescopes ineffective in dealing with such an awkward situation. The optical telescope has lost its utility in this sphere long ago. The more powerful infrared one, together with the other indirect techniques, have, however, until the year 2002, discovered roughly 70 solar systems in our nearby vicinity of around 250 light years in every direction. Research and development is presently continuing with frantic pace and the present telescopes are being improved upon to enable micro-level studies of the heavenly bodies with more precision. The most optimistic aspect of these solar systems lying in our immediate neighbourhood is that all the 200-odd planets discovered in them so far are all gaseous in their makeup and are comparatively larger and of the size our Jupiter, whereas the smaller terrestrial ones are yet to fall into our grasp.
As a result, science is endeavouring very hard to determine as to which of these planets might be the terrestrial ones in order to search for life there. Many exclusive projects have been commissioned long ago under the banner of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in order to communicate with the potential technological civilizations through artificial radio waves. Effort is being made under one such project to communicate with 40 such civilisations. This is the only true and effective mode the science is presently endowed with in its search for life in the heavens. But, this too is an extremely time-consuming and much annoying task. If, for instance, an effort is made in this fashion to communicate with a prospective terrestrial planet revolving around a 12 light years distant star, Tau Ceti, as is the case with the project SETI today, it would take the signal exactly the same 12 years to reach the target. If it so happens that some creatures are readily available there to receive it, are scientifically and technologically well advanced like we do to be able to decipher it, and respond at once with the same coin, then it would take another 12 years for the counter-signal to follow back to us. It would, thus, take a minimum of 24 years merely for the ‘handshake.’ Hence, rather than we contacting the aliens afresh and re-inventing the wheel, the major thrust of SETI today is centred on locating and listening to the prospective signals already beamed to us by the aliens themselves in their search of their own extraterrestrials. It should be born in mind once again that all these efforts are being undertaken in anticipation that the probable extraterrestrial civilisations around us are more superior in scientific and technological terms and better skilled in interstellar communications than we do. But, this task too is not that much easy either. It is, according to a scientist, akin to finding a signal bottled and cast in the deep oceans long ago. It is for these reasons that astronomy wasn’t able to meet with any success as yet. Today we have a situation where some western government-funded premier space organisations have been forced to wind up their respective SETI projects in utter desperation, whereas there are still more, particularly the non-governmental ones, which are persisting in their endeavour in the earnest hope that they might succeed one day.
This pertains to the practical aspect of the search for extraterrestrial abodes of intelligence physically. But, modern astronomy has amassed many significant and irrefutable intellectual and rational arguments concerning their existence in abundance. That is to say that it has met with fair success in discovering the smoke permeating all through the universe, but it is yet to lay its hand on the precise fire giving rise to it. And in the present context it seems highly probable that man could just firmly argue upon their definite existence, rather than hunting them down physically. The most striking argument of the present-day astronomy in this respect is as to why has man found existence at this precise point of time in a very long geological history of an insignificant planet of an ordinary star at the outskirt of an average galaxy of the astonishingly old and gigantic universe, where he enjoys centrality neither in his own Solar System nor in the Galaxy, let alone the universe?
In its attempt to work out a solution to this core issue, science was able to gather some quite significant insights from the Solar System alone. Of the four of its terrestrial planets -- Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars – particularly the last two resemble with each other the most. It should be borne in mind that generally it is the kind of these planets that science is currently on the look out for in the outer space. It has constantly tried to explore Mars by sending an array of probes both into its space and on the surface. As a result, it has found profound scientific evidence suggesting the abundance of liquid water on its surface in its distant past, which continues to exist even today in the form of frozen ice hidden deep beneath its surface. Existence of water, as a rule, is a precursor to life. Mars boasts a very thin atmosphere even today, compelling the science to draw the inference that it might have been much denser in the presence of surface liquid water billions of years ago. Science desires to conclude from this evidence that whenever the circumstances were conducive on Mars in the past, life might have existed there in some form or the other, just to be obliterated when they turned hostile. If so, then life just cannot remain confined to the Earth alone. But, in the same breath, it cannot be presumed to be similar to our own either. It can also be deduced from this on a much wider scale that wherever in the universe Earth-like planets are found to possess the basic life-sustaining ingredients, life itself might exist there. But, science deems only those ingredients to be life-sustaining that it is obliged to in our present context. It is absolutely not necessary, otherwise, for the components of life elsewhere to be similar to those over here too; if Carbon, Oxygen, and Nitrogen are its building blocks here, it can be some other elements elsewhere. Basing upon these arguments, in the estimation of modern astronomy, the number of potential terrestrial planets and the intelligent civilizations flourishing in just a single galaxy like ours might even exceed the incredible 10 million mark! But, still, there are many more scientists who vehemently dispute it and believe that this fascinating universe belongs exclusively to us alone. In fact, such enormous difference of opinion among the scientific community quite clearly portrays the respective fairly optimistic and utterly pessimistic tendencies of both the parties to the dispute. If such is the case of one single galaxy, then it is anybody’s guess as to what would be in store for us in the other at least 100 billion more galaxies. Moreover, there is growing scientific evidence today suggesting the existence of many more invisible universes on the lines of the present visible one as well.
These are some of the empirical and observational realities and assumptions based thereupon concerning the true expanse of the universe, the potential multiplicity of the earths and the probable existence of intelligent life in them, which have been dealt with very briefly here. Now, viewed from another angle, the modern science has benefited us in an unprecedented way not only in our understanding of the many vital realities of the natural world it has also enabled us greatly to place a whole host of statements concerning it of the Qur’an, the primary source of Islamic thought and jurisprudence, in their right perspectives. The ground-breaking insights thus obtained shall go a very long way in resolving many of the riddles faced by the science itself in its ardent quest for the aliens. This humble writer, thus, wishes to share with the readers at large quite a few of them in the following pages. Hence, at the very outset, the Qur’an proclaims thus:
1) They did not esteem the Almighty the way he deserves, whereas all the earths would be in his fist on the Last Day and the skies would be rolled up in his right hand...[i]
This is a very precise and definite assertion of the Qur’an concerning the multiplicity of the earths. Here the original Arabic word jamee (all), which accompanies another word to emphasize and pluralize it, has occurred with ‘earth’ denoting its plurality. Basing upon this verse, a multitude of the classical exegetes of the Qur’an since the earliest period has argued upon more than one earth in the universe. Chiefly among them are: Zamakhshari (died 1143 AD), Razi (1209), Qurtubi (1272), Nasafi (1301), Baizawi (1389), Aaloosi (1853) etc. Also Tabri (922), Baghwi (1122), Ibn Kathir (1372), Suyuthi (1505) etc. too have quoted extensively from Hadith substantiating this Qur’anic statement. More of this type of statements would be dealt with in due course.
When we have at least one clear statement upon the plurality of earths, we shall now deliberate upon their actual numbers, which shall, in return, reinforce the former further. Nearly all the exegetes mentioned above have argued upon seven earths similar to the seven skies. To arrive at this precise number, if their rational lot has taken to arguing from chapter 65:12 of the Qur’an in the light of the prevalent astronomical knowledge of the time, the others have related a few narrations too. It should be remembered at this point of time that as far as the skies are concerned, the Qur’an definitely mentions their number to be seven at not merely one or two places, but repeatedly on seven different occasions. On the contrary, however, one doesn’t find any such specification or stipulation concerning the number of earths in the universe. Nor have they appeared anywhere in their plural form either. It is high time, therefore, that in order to arrive at their real number, we took to gaining newer and more direct insights from the Qur’an in the light of modern human knowledge accumulated over centuries of observation and experiment rather than the one that was based purely upon ancient logic. So the Qur’an portrays the universe very marvellously on another occasion thus:
2) Blessed is He who made in the sky constellations, and in them made lamps and luminous moons.[ii]
‘Lamp’ has metaphorically been used here to denote the sun, as a similitude has been drawn between the two at another place thus:
2.1) He made the Sun a lamp.[iii]
So, the pronoun ‘them’ in the verse under discussion is compulsorily indicating the nearer noun ‘constellations,’ rather than the farther ‘sky,’ which the earlier exegetes had thought to be the case due to the lack of any other alternate interpretation then. As such, the suns and the moons are contained in the constellations, and the constellations themselves, in the sky. This contention is further strengthened by the following assertions that the sky has basically been divided into constellations themselves:
2.2) I swear by the sky of constellations.[iv]
2.3) Indeed, we have made constellations in the sky and adorned it for the onlookers.[v]
The word burooj, with its singular burj, used in these verses to denote ‘constellations,’ literally means castles or towers. But, in the Qur’anic terminology, according to the noted exegete Razi, one of the meanings it has historically found is the twelve stellar constellations of yore. And it has found ready acceptance among a great number of former and latter exegetes and researchers too. In the modern context, however, as they were totally unrealistic, speculative in nature and based upon the classification of merely the partially visible part of the sky, these constellations of the ancient astronomy have lost their relevance completely. In the modern astronomy, though, the whole of the sky, both visible and invisible to the naked eye, has quite realistically been divided into such larger constellations of stars as are known today as the ‘galaxies.’ Thus, in view of both the above Qur’anic statements and the present corroborative scientific evidence, the meaning of ‘constellation’ could fairly and reasonably be enlarged and substituted with the wider ‘galaxy’ today. And even this latter term seems to be more in harmony with its literal meaning than the former.
Consider another significant aspect now. The words ‘suns’ and ‘moons’ stated to exist in the galaxies have appeared in singular numbers in the original Arabic text, whereas logic requires that to exist in multiple galaxies, they should be multiple in numbers themselves. As such, each galaxy should consist of no less than a sun and a moon. It, thus, shows that both of these words are appearing as plurals in their generic forms. There is ample evidence of the generic nouns appearing in singular forms in the Qur’an without the customary alif lam prefixed to them. ‘Sign,’ ‘house,’ and ‘grain’ in chapters 3:50, 7:78, and 36:33 respectively are a few other instances from the same Qur’anic usage. Now if considered in the present context of the roughly 100 billion galaxies discovered so far in the universe, there have to be at least the same number of suns and moons, but their upper limit could be anything. Their true number could even be the one that is arrived at by multiplying the 100 billion galaxies with the hundreds of billions of more stars that each one of them is composed of. As far as the suns are concerned, there just cannot be an element of surprise in their numbers for the modern astronomy, as it has itself practically demonstrated to us that every star in the galaxies is a sun in its own right. The numbers concerning the moons, however, are definitely quite revealing and much fantasising. But, the moot point here is that when the universe is home to a minimum of 100 billion moons, then what could the number of the earths in it be? Can there be a moon without an earth to revolve around? Or, can a satellite exist without a planet? A moon is always the precursor of an earth accompanying it. As such, earths too have to be around the same 100 billion at the least!
The real number of earths in the universe could also be deduced from the fact that merely one of the 400 billion stars of our one single galaxy, i.e., the Sun, carries around it eight planets or earths and more than 60 moons revolving around them. Apart from them, 70 more solar systems carrying 200-odd earths too have so far been discovered in our immediate vicinity spanning around an area of just 250 light years in every direction, which is an extremely negligible fraction in comparison to the total area of the Galaxy 100,000 light years across. Remember, modern astronomy was only able to discover these many earths in our close by neighbourhood, and it doesn’t rule out the possible existence of the many more fainter ones in it. So, if the present telescopes are improved upon or some other superior technology is worked out then it could radically alter the current scenario in the very same environs and elsewhere in the Galaxy too. When such is the case with an ordinary galaxy, then one can truly imagine the other remaining galaxies and the number of earths present in them as well. But, at this point of time, it is an altogether different matter if these earths are rocky and could be habitable like our own Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars or gaseous and inhabitable like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
It could now be seen as to how brilliantly the Qur’an causes newer and far-reaching meanings to emerge in the contemporary scientific age from the same set of old words with a mere pronoun designating the right noun. It could also be gathered from the present discussion that the Qur’an, rather than resorting to direct speech, cherishes to deal with and conveys the realities of the natural phenomena in such a meaningfully implied phraseology whose true purport should only be revealed at an appropriate time. In the present verse itself, for instance, rather than affirming the constellations and galaxies to be containing earths in clear and unambiguous terms, a very meaningful suggestion has been made that they do comprise moons. In other words, suns and moons have clearly been mentioned here, whereas the earths which form the crucial intermittent link between them have intentionally been omitted so that this great natural reality should marvellously be revealed upon man only after he himself is able to figure it out through his own knowledge and comprehension. It should be born in mind here that far from any thought of the multiplicity of the moons, man in the ancient period was completely oblivious even of the fact that our own moon too owed its existence to that of the Earth. The forthcoming discussions would effectively unveil the expediency behind this amazing mode of Qur’anic expression. Furthermore, the current Qur’anic affirmation of the presence of the suns in the galaxies bears another significant universal insight for us. It firmly establishes that all the stars contained in the galaxies are the suns in their respective spheres! As stated above, modern science too considers them to be the suns.
It should particularly be noted that all the galaxies discovered so far by the modern science are contained in the nearest of the seven skies according to the Qur’an:
2.4) We have adorned the nearest of the skies with the adornment of the stars.[vi]
The Qur’an also states that all the seven skies are located one above the other:
2.5) The one who created seven skies one above the other…[vii]
When all the heavenly bodies discovered so far are contained in the nearest sky, and when the skies themselves are placed one above the other, it could rightly be inferred from it that only the nearest sky is visible, and that the remaining six of them lie concealed from us. We shall now discuss the composition of these six invisible skies too in the light of the following four statements of the Qur’an, which shall reinforce our present contention even further:
3) Don’t you observe as to how the Almighty has created seven skies one above the other as layers, and in them made the moons luminous and the suns, lamps?[viii]
In the same way as the suns and the moons were used in the previous serial in their singular forms in the context of all the galaxies of the nearest sky, here too they have appeared in a similar fashion in relation to all the seven skies. The customary alif lam too has clearly been prefixed to each of them indicating their use as generic nouns. Thus, the suns and moons are very much the part and parcel of not just the present sky, but that of the remaining six of them as well. Yet again, with the existence of the moons, the companion earths too are convincingly established in all the seven skies! And with the uniformity of expression employed concerning all the seven skies here, it could further be deduced from it that there also exists uniformity between each of them concerning the number of earths they comprise. And when the nearest sky contains a minimum of 100 billion of them, then similar would the case be with each of the remaining skies too! It is now very much obvious as to why the generic alif lam has been prefixed to the ‘suns’ and the ‘moons’ appearing particularly in the current serial alone in contrast to the previous one when they are being used in their generic forms at both of these places. It is, in reality, being intended to convey through this difference of expression in the previous serial that even though the suns and the moons do appear in their generic forms there too, they are, however, not present in their entirety only in the first of the skies, but in comparison to their sum total in all the skies their number is merely partial in nature. So, the alif lam was prefixed to them only where they were to denote their total number rather than the partial one. This prefix in the current serial is, therefore, simultaneously indicative of their usage in their generic forms as well as their entirety. It is, thus, very much evident that both of the current and the previous serials are mutually interpreting the apparent ambiguities present in either of them with remarkable ease; if the latter serial is effectively clearing the doubt concerning the generic nature of the suns and the moons occurring in the former serial, the former serial itself is specifying the actual number of earths being affirmed in the latter. Thus, the latter serial quite convincingly consolidates and supplements the former. We find another statement of the Qur’an in absolute conformity with the present one in the following words:
4) Say: Can you be ungrateful to him who has created the earths in two days, and equate others with him? Remember, he is the Lord of all the worlds. He has placed in the earths stabilisers from above, blessed them, and determined their foods in four days, alike for those who question. He, then, turned towards the skies, which were in the state of smoke then, and said to them and the earths, “Both of you submit yourselves willingly or unwillingly.” They said, “We do submit ourselves willingly.” Then, he secured them (i.e., the earths) in the seven skies in two days and revealed in each of the skies its due command. And we have adorned the nearest sky too with a few lamps, and safeguarded it. Such is the estimation of the all-mighty, the all-knowing![ix]
Four plus two, the six-day creation account here comprises the formation and coming into being of all the natural phenomena in existence today:
4.1) He created the skies and the earths and all that exists in between in six days…[x]
It flows from it, hence, that the current statement is illustrative of the state of these phenomena prior to their creation in their current form and as to how did all the seven skies and the other bodies present therein come into being. Thus, a mention is being made here, in line with the previous serial, concerning the creation of all the earths in existence in all the seven skies in their generic form, rather than that of our own solitary one. Another significant argument favouring this contention is that when it has taken a total of six days for the creation of all that exists, then how can it take exactly the two-thirds of it for the creation of merely a single earth? It should be born in mind that the total mass of the Earth pales utterly before that of the present universe; it is roughly 1.3 million times smaller than just our single sun, the Sun itself is around 400 billion times smaller than the Galaxy, the Galaxy is about 100 billion times smaller than the total matter discovered so far in the universe. Furthermore, the proportion of the matter discovered so far to the space is just an atom of Hydrogen to 7.6 cubic meters of space. So, the gigantic nature and the true expanse of the universe could very well be imagined. In addition, there are six more skies and the matter contained in them as well. It unmistakably indicates, thus, that the earths too must be inestimable!
Nevertheless, while basing ourselves on the enormous mass of the seven skies and their boundless frontiers and arguing upon the existence of innumerable earths commensurate with their formation in two-thirds of the total time of creation, it has to be remembered that the earths do not exist in space on their own; their very existence depends on that of their companion stars, the stars themselves owe their subsistence to that of the galaxies, and so on. This is because all the heavenly bodies hold each other through an invisible force known as the universal law of gravitation, to which the Qur’an too stunningly refers to as the invisible pillars:
4.2) He has created the skies with pillars invisible to you…[xi]
The first four days of creation compulsorily includes the formation of all the earths, their companion suns, and all the other heavenly bodies bound together under the universal law of gravitation thus. The singling out of the earths with a special mention, however, signifies their central character, and their particular existence and preponderance is firmly established in every nook and corner of all the seven skies. Besides, if the prevalence of the earths in all the skies was argued upon in the previous serial with the mere mention of the attendant moons, a similar case is being made out in the current one of the compulsory existence of the accompanying suns with the solitary mention of the earths in all the skies. Thus, arguing upon the existence of suns through that of the earths once again reinforces the far-reaching reality that it is the latter that enjoys centrality of endurance all through the skies, and that the subsistence of the former is purely secondary in nature and relative to that of the latter. In other words, the fundamental objective behind the creation of the suns is their service to their respective earths and those inhabiting them. Even though the earths appear to remain subservient to the suns by revolving around them, but in reality, it is the latter that are at the constant service of the former and those who dwell in them by providing them with the means of sustenance. The Qur’an very clearly points to this fact in the following words:
4.3) He has subjugated to you the night and the day and the Sun and the Moon…[xii]
When the Sun has been subjugated to man, then its servitude to his domicile Earth too is also established beyond reasonable doubt. It flows from it that the existence of the servant suns is pointless without that of the master earths. In principle, thus, wherever in the skies exist the suns, with them exist the earths too!! Basing on the generally comprehensible suns, a very powerful argument is being made here through these statements with regard to the existence with them of the concealed earths thus. That is to say that on the strength of the realities science could reasonably perceive, we are also being acquainted today with those too which generally fall beyond its scope.
The first Qur’anic confirmation of these rational contentions could be found in the very first verse of the current serial. The phrase ‘the one who has created the earths’ here is immediately being introduced, in an extremely eloquent and comprehensive manner, as ‘the Lord of all the worlds.’ This very bluntly suggests that the latter phrase has been substituted for the former. In other words, with the very mention of the creation of the earths, the formation of all the heavenly bodies mutually bound together under the law of gravitation is meant here. For the expression ‘all the worlds’ to mean all the natural phenomena in existence would be dealt with in detail in the coming pages. It, thus, shows that ‘earth’ has once again been used here as a generic noun.
Further corroboration in this regard could be found in the remaining verses as well. Accordingly, after the creation of all the earths, the Creator turned towards the skies that were in the state of smoke then. Remember, the ‘sky’ too is similarly appearing in its singular form as do the ‘earth’ to denote that both of them have been used as generic nouns. This is the reason why both of these genders have been addressed to in the dual form initially in the passage ‘Both of you submit yourselves willingly or unwillingly.’ But, in the very next verse, in an extremely marvellous fashion, each of them has been separated in its plural form as well; if the earths were indicated with the pronoun ‘them,’ the number ‘seven’ has been assigned to the skies. That is, when both the genre of the earths and the skies submitted themselves willingly before the Creator, he secured the former in the latter. Imagine once again that hadn’t the earths been multiple in number, how could have they been secured in all the seven skies then? Razi too has inferred all the earths in existence here.
Moreover, the literal mention of the compulsory existence of the companion suns hitherto concealed deliberately by contenting with the creation in all the seven skies of the mere earths is significantly being revealed towards the end through the expression ‘And we have adorned the nearest sky with a few lamps,’ implying that the present discussion is being carried out in the context of virtually all the earths and their accompanying suns right from the very beginning itself and confirming the logical interpretation we have resorted to in this regard earlier. Also, notice the sagacious divergence of expression employed here; if a mention of only the earths in all the seven skies was made in the earlier part of these verses by concealing the existence of the suns, in the latter part, on the contrary, only the suns have been mentioned in the nearest sky, and the already established earths have been deliberately left out. This very clearly suggests that just like the Qur’an argues upon the certain existence of the earths with the simple mention of the accompanying moons, it also establishes direct correlation between the earths and the attendant suns with a mention merely of any one of the two. And ‘lamps’ here as well is appearing as a common noun devoid of the prefix alif lam indicating the suns and their companion earths are comparatively lesser in number than those present in the remaining six skies. This is why the wisdom behind the creation and dispersal of such a great number of earths in all the skies is being described in the end as ‘Such is the estimation of the all-mighty and the all-knowing!’
It has also to be born in mind at this stage that the securing of the earths in the seven skies in two days also includes the transformation of the skies from their earlier smoky state to the present one, as another statement makes an explicit assertion that the earths were disseminated only after the erection of the skies:
5) Are you more difficult to create or the skies that he built? He raised their roofs high, proportioned them, darkened their nights, brightened their days, and after that did he spread the earths out.[xiii]
Amid the creation of the skies and the spreading out of the earths, the passage ‘darkened their nights, brightened their days’ bears another testimony for us. Accordingly, the creation of the nights and days of the skies is in reality indicative of the creation of the suns in them, as without the latter the occurrence of the former just cannot be possible. Hence, creation of the suns prior to that of the earths too is quite obviously established. As such, the present verses are meant to elucidate and remove the apparent ambiguities contained in the previous serial and to strengthen and augment our contention there. The following verses too reinforce this fact even further:
6) The Almighty is he who has created seven skies, and likewise, the earths. His command descends among them (i.e., the earths) in order that you may know that he is capable of every thing, and that he encompasses every thing knowledgeably.[xiv]
It is this verse that formed the historical basis for the many exegetes of the Qur’an to confine the multiplicity of the earths to seven. According to them, a similarity is being drawn here between the earths and the skies with the number seven. Had that been the case, however, a statement could have been made in a straightforward way that the Almighty has created seven skies and seven earths, and there wouldn’t have been any necessity for generating the present ambiguity. In reality, however, here too the same caution and foresight are unmistakably at work which we are witnessing continuously with regard to the actual number of earths contained in all the seven skies. Thus, a careful consideration of the Qur’anic usage of the word ‘skies’ on other occasions reveals that just as all the seven skies and the other heavenly bodies present in them are referred to with the phrase ‘the skies and the earths and all that exists in between’ the same sense is also conveyed with the mere ‘skies’ too. Respective instances of both these usages are as follows:
6.1) He created the skies and the earths and all that exists in between in six days, and then ascended the Throne…[xv]
6.2) Your Lord is the Almighty who created the skies and the earths in six days, and then ascended the Throne…[xvi]
In both of these mutually comparable verses, the six-day creation account discloses that a mention is being made in each of them concerning the creation of virtually all the natural phenomena in existence. Thus, if a broad classification of these phenomena is made then it would consist of three broad elements: seven skies, all the earths, and all the remaining heavenly bodies. The first of these verses just corresponds to this categorization, whereas the same meaning is being conveyed in the second verse with the mere mention of the skies and the earths, and the third element has completely been omitted deliberately. Hence, it could rightly be inferred from it that ‘skies’ is a comprehensive Qur’anic term that simply incorporates all the seven of them and all the stars and the other heavenly bodies present in them as well, and which is occasionally emphasized with the number ‘seven’ or with the phrase ‘the skies and the earths and all that exists in between.’ Likewise, its usage in the verse quoted in serial no. 4.2 above is another example, where all the heavenly bodies mutually bound together under the universal law of gravitation too have plainly been referred to as the ‘skies.’ Moreover, apart from these arguments, for the term ‘sky’ to connote all the bodies it consists of is a self-evident truth too. To mean the citizens with the mere mention of their respective countries of domicile is in practice in general. From the statements of ‘India is a multi-religious country’ or ‘UK is a developed state’ it is always meant that the religiosity or the development exist in their respective citizens and not in those countries per se.
Accordingly, the statement ‘the Almighty is he who has created seven skies, and likewise, the earths’ denotes that in the same way as the seven skies together with the other heavenly bodies and particularly the innumerable suns inhabiting them were created, earths too have been given similar abundant existence. Thus, if a correlation was established between the earths and the suns in all the seven skies in the serial no. 4 above, a similarity between them is also being drawn here in terms of their absolute numbers, reinforcing the contention that this latter serial is basically meant to refine and further define the former. In this manner, the actual comparison being made here in the phrase ‘and likewise, the earths’ is between the earths and the seven skies, rather than merely the number seven.
As stated earlier, science is in the process of gathering considerable evidence upon the existence of many more invisible universes similar to the present visible one as well. As a result, the concept of multiverse has begun to gain ground today. However, as could be gathered from our present discussion, the Qur’an has already accorded a definite shape to this concept by unequivocally revealing their actual composition and their absolute number as well. All the heavenly bodies discovered so far by the modern astronomy are contained in just the nearest or the very first sky according to the Qur’an. The remaining six skies too carry galaxies, suns, moons, and earths in them and are invisible to us because all of them are placed one above the other. This quite clearly suggests that each one of them is a separate universe in itself. Modern astronomy too considers them to be beyond the pale of our observation and, thus, concealed from us.
Furthermore, another significant reality baring itself in the light of the present discussion is that the term ‘earth’ has generally been used in the Qur’an in its generic form, which is sometimes provided emphasis with jamee or a pronoun in its plural form is used to indicate it. It could, however, be contended here that the word ‘skies’ in its singularity is a comprehensive term to include all the earths as well, as our own earth too bears the same status in relation to the other earths. Even though such instances too are commonly found but it would be reflective of merely a partial reality of the Qur’an, as on many other occasions the plurality of the earths is sought with its mere mention in its singular form. Many of the instances referred previously do fall under this realm, and still more shall follow in due course. So, unless it specifically refers to just our own, ‘earth’ shall always be regarded in its generic form. Nevertheless, if it accompanies ‘sky’ or ‘skies,’ or is used in their context, then it shall always be considered to be conforming to the same usage. On quite a few occasions, however, the phrase ‘the skies and the earth and all that exists in between’ too has been used just to lay additional emphasis upon their plurality.
These are some of the verses conveying the plurality of the earths in direct and real expressions. There are many more that dwell upon the subject indirectly and figuratively, still. They shall be dealt with in due course. It could reasonably be concluded from this discussion, thus, that the Qur’an always resorts to such vocabulary and expression in relation to describing the multiplicity of the earths that if on the one hand their true number remains obscure to the predecessors, on the other, when man is well set on the threshold of figuring that great reality out through his own instincts and in the light of his own knowledge, it should reveal itself to him extremely emphatically. The Qur’an declares the basic objective behind such a methodical and long-term approach in very clear terms as follows:
7) Soon shall we reveal to them our signs in the environs of the earth and the skies and in their own lives until it becomes manifest to them that this is the truth. Isn’t it enough for your Lord to be witness over everything?[xvii]
Both according to the lexicon and the narration, the original Arabic word a‘faaq used here denotes the environs of the earth and the skies. Thus, it is clearly evident from this verse that those of the signs of Providence contained in the environs of the earth and the skies and kept concealed from the predecessors just to be revealed to man at a later date are nothing but this very massive universe and particularly its countless earths themselves being disclosed in an amazing idiom to us currently. So, the Qur’an itself has provided an extremely significant authentication to this humble writer in aid of his present endeavour. And the phrase ‘until it becomes manifest to them that this is the truth’ explains the rationale behind it that this carefully crafted strategy of the concealment of the true expanse of the natural world and its delayed disclosure to man in the light of his own knowledge was resorted to in order to establish and demonstrate before him the marvellous and truthful nature of the Qur’an. This is the reason why it is again being asked if it wasn’t enough for the Almighty to be witness over everything, indicating that all the natural phenomena fall quite within the Divine knowledge, and, thus, finding a mention in this amazing Book. And it is why it has been undertaken at another occasion to reveal these signs later on, asserting that they would be so clear or so complete in harmony with the knowledge of man that he would clearly discern them:
7.1) Say: “Praise belongs to the Almighty alone. Soon shall he reveal to you his signs, and you would certainly recognise them.”[xviii]