Thursday, November 25, 2021
THE QUR’AN, ALLAH, AND MUHAMMAD CONTRADICT SCIENCE: ALLAH CREATED SEVEN EARTHS ACCORDING TO THE QUR’AN
Introduction: Where Are These Seven Earths?
A surprising assertion for many readers is that the Qur'an teaches Allah created seven Earths:
"It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the Earth the like thereof..."
—Surah At-Talaq 65:12, translation by F. Malik
But what exactly are these seven Earths? Are they continents on this single planet? Are they other planets like Earth? Before evaluating the scientific credibility of this claim, we must define what is meant by "seven Earths," especially as Muhammad and early Muslims understood them. The teachings about seven Earths are found in the early Islamic sources: Hadith and Qur'anic commentaries (Tafsir).
1. Evidence from Hadith Literature
Sahih Al-Bukhari
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Narrated by Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Rahman:
The Prophet said, "Anyone who wrongfully takes a span of land, his neck will be encircled with seven Earths on the Day of Resurrection."
(Vol. 4, Book 54, Hadith 417; see also 418, 420; Vol. 3, Book 43, Hadiths 632-634) -
Narrated by Abdullah:
A Jewish rabbi told Muhammad that Allah would place the heavens, Earth, trees, and creation on different fingers. The Prophet confirmed it by smiling and reciting Surah 39:67.
Sahih Muslim
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Abu Salama had a dispute over land and went to Aisha. She responded by citing the Prophet:
"Anyone who seizes even a hand-span of land unjustly will have seven layers of Earth wrapped around his neck."
(Book 10, Hadith 3925)
Al-Tirmidhi
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Abu Hurayrah narrated a long hadith in which the Prophet described the seven heavens and seven Earths, each separated by a 500-year journey. He explained that even if a rope were dropped from the top, it would fall under the knowledge and authority of Allah.
Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi
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These Hadiths show Muhammad was not passively relaying common beliefs but was actively teaching a cosmic structure with seven heavens above and seven flat Earths below.
2. Additional Islamic Sources
Ubayy ibn Ka’b on Surah 7:172
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Ubayy reported that Allah made a covenant with the descendants of Adam and invoked the seven heavens and seven Earths as witnesses to that covenant.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri
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The Prophet said that if the phrase “There is no god but Allah” were placed on one side of the scale, and the seven heavens and seven Earths on the other, the phrase would outweigh them.
Ya’la ibn Murrah
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The Prophet said that if someone wrongfully took land, Allah would dig him down through the seven Earths and bind them around his neck on the Day of Judgment.
3. Legal and Devotional Texts
Fiqh-us-Sunnah
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Reports include prayers invoking "Lord of the seven heavens and all they shade, Lord of the seven Earths and all they carry."
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The Prophet taught supplications where believers call on Allah as the "Creator of the heavens and Earths" to seek protection.
4. Early Muslim Historians and Commentators
Ibn Abbas (Tafsir)
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Interpreted Surah 65:12 as affirming seven layered flat Earths, like domes or levels.
Al-Tabari
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Described the cosmos as layered: heavens and Earth within a cosmic structure (haykal) resembling tent cords surrounding land and sea, with Earth as seven flat islands.
Ibn Kathir
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Affirmed the literal understanding of seven flat Earths and rejected metaphorical interpretations such as seven continents.
Al-Kisa’i
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Described each of the seven Earths by name and their inhabitants:
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Ramaka: barren wind and punished nation.
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Khalada: torture tools and self-cannibalizing nation.
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Arqa: deadly quilled birds and corrupt people.
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Haraba: massive snakes and bat-like creatures.
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Malthamu: stones of sulfur hanging on unbelievers.
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Sijjin: hellish records and bird-like people.
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Ajiba: home of Iblis and a black dwarf nation called Khasum.
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Sheikh Al-Albani
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A modern scholar who supported the existence of seven Earths based on Qur’an and Hadith, criticizing those who reject it under Western scientific influence. He referred to Qur’anic verse:
"It is Allah who created seven heavens and the Earth the like thereof." (65:12)
Analysis and Scientific Conflict
The evidence from early Islamic sources shows that Muhammad and his companions believed in literal seven Earths, flat and layered, not spherical planets or metaphorical meanings. These were not symbolic but part of their cosmological framework, derived from or parallel to ancient Near Eastern and Judaic cosmologies.
From a modern scientific perspective, this belief contradicts astronomy, geology, and planetary science. There is no evidence of seven flat Earths beneath our world, each inhabited by distinct peoples or creatures. These ideas reflect ancient cosmology, not divine revelation.
Conclusion
Given the overwhelming weight of early Islamic sources and interpretations, it is inescapable to conclude that:
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The Qur'an’s teaching of seven heavens and seven Earths is a reflection of pre-scientific cosmology.
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Muhammad himself believed and taught that the universe was structured in seven layers of heavens and Earths, with vast distances and fantastical creatures.
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This model is not only scientifically incorrect but is also presented as divinely revealed truth.
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Thus, this undermines the Qur'an’s claim to scientific or divine perfection and further challenges the prophetic authority of Muhammad.
Therefore, the Qur'an’s description of the universe is rooted in ancient myth and cannot be reconciled with modern scientific understanding. This raises serious theological implications about the authenticity of the Qur'an and the prophethood of Muhammad.
Shalom,
Dr. Maxwell Shimba
For Max Shimba Ministries
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