The Qur’an refers to the Earth no fewer than 461 times. What makes this planet so significant that the Divine Word—sent as guidance for humankind—should refer to it again and again? Especially when one considers its scale in relation to other celestial bodies, the Earth seems quite small. Compared to planets like Jupiter or Saturn, and when set beside the mighty stars scattered across the galaxy, it is minuscule. Still, the Qur’an speaks of it with unmatched attention.
Yes, it is true. Earth is a speck in the vastness of the cosmos. Our neighboring star, the Sun, is 333,000 times heavier than the Earth. It can contain within itself about 1.3 million Earths. And the Sun is but one star among countless others—many far more massive, more luminous, and more energetic. These stars are grouped into vast assemblies we call galaxies. And the universe contains billions of such galaxies, with distances between stars measured in millions of light years. When viewed through this cosmic lens, the Earth appears insignificant.
But from the perspective of humanity, Earth is vast and essential—unmatched in its importance. Even within the universe, Earth holds a special place. It has a circumference of about 40,000 kilometers and a diameter of 12,756 kilometers. It lies roughly 149.6 million kilometers away from the Sun. To a human being no taller than a meter and a half—an ant crawling atop a straw—the Earth stretches wide and free. Science has yet to discover any evidence of life elsewhere in the cosmos. If these planets are devoid of humans or animals, what are they for? They serve as signs, as parables. With his intellect, man may reflect on the Earth, the planets, the stars, the galaxies, and their Creator—the Lord of the Universe. It is to lead him to this realization that Allah continuously speaks of the heavens and the earth in His majestic Scripture.
The Qur’an, in persistently speaking of Earth, also stirs the human intellect toward the science of geography. It offers not just spiritual guidance but also valuable scientific pointers about the Earth itself. That such insights were revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in a society that lacked scientific knowledge and literacy some 1,400 years ago, stands as a clear mark of the Qur’an’s divine origin.
The Qur’an and Geology
The Qur’an repeatedly urges humankind to travel through the Earth. These journeys are primarily meant to inspire reflection on the origins of creation and the downfall of past civilizations. Consider the following verses:
{قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ}
“Say: Travel through the Earth and observe how was the end of the criminals.” (Surah An-Naml, 27:69)
{قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ انْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ}
“Say: Travel through the Earth and see what was the end of those who denied the truth.” (Surah Al-Anʿām, 6:11)
{قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ}
“Say: Travel through the Earth and observe how the creation began.” (Surah Al-ʿAnkabūt, 29:20)
{قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلُ}
“Say: Travel through the Earth and see what was the end of those before you.” (Surah Ar-Rūm, 30:42)
{أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا}
“Have they not traveled through the Earth, so that they may have hearts to reason with or ears to listen with?” (Surah Al-Ḥajj, 22:46)
The Qur’an repeats, again and again, the importance of travel, study, and research. At least fourteen verses in the Qur’an explicitly call toward such journeys. And it is not merely external wandering that is encouraged, but deep investigation into what lies beneath. It is by excavating the Earth, by studying its layers, by uncovering fossils, that many ancient truths come to light.
In Surah Al-Furqān, the Qur’an speaks of walking “on the Earth” using the phrase “على الأرض”, while in other verses urging research into creation and history, it uses “في الأرض”, meaning “in the Earth.” The primary meaning of “في الأرض” indeed suggests a movement within, a descent into its depths. Clues about the fate of Aad and Thamud were unearthed through the remnants they left behind—remnants buried beneath the soil. Even today, in the search for the origins of the universe, research centers like CERN at the borders of Switzerland and France are built not above but deep underground.
The Seven Earths
How many Earths are there in the universe? The Qur’an does not provide a specific number, but some hadiths suggest that there are seven Earths. One such hadith—reported by both Bukhari and Muslim—states that if someone unjustly seizes even a hand-span of land, he will be made to wear a collar of it from all seven Earths on the Day of Judgment. In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ, in a supplication, addressed Allah as “Lord of the seven Earths.” This expression is found in hadiths recorded by al-Nasa’i, al-Bayhaqi, al-Hakim, al-Tabarani, Ibn Hibban, al-Haythami, and al-Bazzar.
And the Qur’an says:
{اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ}
“Allah is the One who created seven heavens and from the Earth the like of them.” (Surah At-Talaq, 65:12)
According to the exegetes, “the like of them” refers to seven Earths.
If there are indeed seven Earths in the universe, where are they? Could they refer to the seven continents? Each vast landmass could, in a sense, qualify as an Earth. Or perhaps, more intriguingly, they refer to the seven internal layers of our planet, categorized as follows: lithosphere (water), lithosphere (land), asthenosphere, upper mantle, inner mantle, outer core, and inner core.
Or are there perhaps six other Earth-like planets beyond our solar system capable of sustaining life? Recent scientific literature has suggested that there are indeed planets similar to Earth orbiting distant stars. Some hadiths mention the distance between one Earth and another as a five-hundred-year journey. Though it is not clear whether this refers to walking, flying, or traveling at the speed of light, the very possibility is captivating.
Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه), when interpreting the verse about the seven Earths, explained: “Each of these Earths has a prophet like yours, an Adam like your Adam, a Noah like your Noah, an Abraham like your Abraham, and a Jesus like your Jesus.” Imam al-Hakim and al-Dhahabi have confirmed the chain of narration of this report from Ibn Abbas. While this isn’t explicitly attributed to the Prophet ﷺ, it is nonetheless a fascinating interpretation. The Prophet ﷺ did say, “Narrate from the Israelites, and there is no harm,” suggesting that such accounts may be accepted without affirming or denying them. Abū Ḥayyān, however, considered this narration to be fabricated. Yet al-Alusi held that there is no theological or intellectual issue with accepting its meaning.
Al-Alusi argued that just as humanity on our Earth began with Adam and received guidance through prophets, the inhabitants of other Earths may also have been created with beginnings like ours and may have received chosen messengers as well. Just as we are bound to believe in Ibrahim (Abraham), they too may have had a figure they were commanded to believe in. This possibility opens many reflections. Who then conveyed the message to these other Earths? No prophet, so far as we know, traveled to them. Could the jinn have been charged with this task? After all, we know they were only barred from ascending the heavens after the coming of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. They were not necessarily barred from traveling to other Earths. Given their swiftness, it may have been possible for them to deliver the Prophet’s ﷺ message elsewhere. And if new Earths are discovered, perhaps da’wah (invitation to Islam) may be extended to them through satellite communication or other technologies. These contemplations have become all the more relevant in an age exploring exobiology.
The Nature of the Earth
Among all the planets in the solar system, Earth alone hosts life in such abundance. It alone protects human beings from freezing cold and burning heat. It alone contains the essential elements of life—abundant oxygen, flowing water, and food ready for harvest. It receives a precise measure of sunlight, not too much nor too little. Its atmosphere shields us from deadly radiation. Its gravity grounds our steps so we can walk securely. It is soft like a mattress, calm like a cradle, and despite its ceaseless motion, it does not disturb our peace. Because of its spherical form, it offers boundless horizons, and no matter how far we travel, there is always more. The Qur’an had already spoken of all these marvels.
{أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادًا}
“Have We not made the Earth as a cradle?” (Surah An-Nabaʾ, 78:6)
{الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فِرَاشًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً وَأَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَكُمْ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ}
“It is He who made the Earth a resting place for you, and the sky a canopy, and sent down rain from the sky and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not set up rivals to Allah while you know.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:22)
{هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ}
“It is He who made the Earth manageable for you, so walk in its paths and eat of His provision. And to Him is the resurrection.” (Surah Al-Mulk, 67:15)
{وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ}
“We spread out the Earth and placed therein firm mountains.” (Surah Al-Ḥijr, 15:19)
{وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ}
“And do they not look at the Earth—how it was spread out?” (Surah Al-Ghāshiyah, 88:20)
All these verses describe not the exact shape of the Earth, but its nature—its comfort, its utility. When it is said that the Earth is like a cradle or a bed, the intention is not its shape, but its function. Even a person of basic understanding would grasp that.
Is the Earth spherical?
The Qur’an never states that the Earth is a perfect sphere. Had it done so, and had that been proven incorrect, it would have posed a difficulty. A perfect sphere has a constant distance from every point on its surface to the center, but the Earth is not shaped that way. Modern science confirms that the Earth is not a perfect sphere, but rather slightly flattened at the poles—a shape resembling an ostrich egg. In modern geography, this shape is referred to as geoid. Does the Qur’an contain any clues toward this shape? Many Muslim scientists and Qur’anic scholars believe so.
They point to this verse:
{وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا}
“And after that, He spread out the Earth.” (Surah An-Nāziʿāt, 79:30)
The Arabic verb دَحَاهَا (dahāhā) is usually translated as “spread it out,” but it can also mean “shaped it like an egg,” specifically like the egg of an ostrich. This interpretation is affirmed in classical and modern Arabic lexicons. Even classical commentators like Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi pointed out that the Earth is not flat, based on various verses, indicating a conceptual awareness of its roundness.
Some skeptics mock the Qur’anic references to sunrise and sunset, as if the text suggests a flat Earth where the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. However, these expressions are not unscientific. Language expresses human experience. Even in this modern age, school textbooks still speak of sunrise and sunset. The Qur’an does not present itself as a scientific textbook. Rather, it is a divine call, using human language and perception to guide people toward their Creator.
Yet the way the Qur’an describes sunrise and sunset actually supports the notion of a spherical Earth. Consider these verses:
{قَالَ رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ}
“He said: Lord of the East and the West and what lies between them, if you understand.” (Surah Ash-Shuʿarāʾ, 26:28)
{رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ وَرَبُّ الْمَغْرِبَيْنِ}
“Lord of the two Easts and the two Wests.” (Surah Ar-Raḥmān, 55:17)
{فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ}
“But no! I swear by the Lord of the many Easts and the many Wests. We are certainly capable.” (Surah Al-Maʿārij, 70:40)
In these verses, the Qur’an refers to the East and West in singular, dual, and plural forms. All are correct—but only if the Earth is spherical. For someone standing anywhere on Earth, there is a unique sunrise and sunset. That’s the singular form. At the same time, the opposite hemisphere is experiencing the opposite phase—two Easts and two Wests. And as the Earth rotates, different locations experience sunrise and sunset simultaneously, accounting for the plural. A flat Earth could not produce these variations.
Even the verse that asks if they do not consider how the Earth was spread—{وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ}—hints at its rounded nature. For a surface to be evenly spread in all directions, it must be spherical; otherwise, at some point, one’s journey would end abruptly.
Scholars like Shaykh al-Shaʿrāwī studied these clues deeply. They found in verses like those of Surah Yā-Sīn—specifically 36:40—further hints of Earth’s rotation, because it states that neither night outstrips day nor day outstrips night, implying that both exist simultaneously. That is possible only if the Earth is rotating and round.
The Rotation of the Earth
The idea that the Earth rotates was not always accepted. The Bible and the geocentric theory of Ptolemy both asserted that the Earth was stationary. It was Galileo who challenged this notion with his heliocentric model—that the Earth moves around the Sun. For this, Christian religious authorities accused him of heresy. Bruno was burned alive by those same authorities. But what is the Qur’anic view on this matter?
Qur’anic exegetes and scientifically inclined commentators have outlined three possible scenarios. First: neither the Earth nor the Sun moves. Second: the Sun moves but the Earth does not. Third: the Earth moves, and so does the Sun. The first scenario—where both are stationary—is contradicted by the reality of day and night. If neither the Sun nor the Earth moves, there could be no alternation of day and night. The experience of shifting light and darkness, supported by both observation and Qur’anic language, proves that at least one of them must be in motion.
If it is only the Sun that moves, then its light should move with it. In that case, sunlight would chase darkness and day would chase night. But the Qur’an reverses this image:
{يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا}
“He covers the day with night—night pursues it rapidly.” (Surah Al-Aʿrāf, 7:54)
Night is what overtakes day—not the other way around. It is not day that chases night; rather, night comes swiftly behind day. This implies that it is the Earth’s rotation that brings about this alternation. The Qur’an is not denying movement in the Sun altogether, but in this context, it is not the Sun’s motion that causes day and night—it is Earth’s rotation.
Shaykh al-Shaʿrāwī draws attention to another verse:
{وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ ۚ صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَ}
“You see the mountains and think them firmly fixed, but they are moving like the movement of clouds. That is the work of Allah who perfected all things. Indeed, He is All-Aware of what you do.” (Surah An-Naml, 27:88)
While many classical scholars interpreted this verse as referring to the Day of Judgment—when the mountains will be set in motion—modern commentators have considered it a scientific reference. Mountains, the Qur’an elsewhere says, are like pegs fixed into the Earth. If these “pegs” are moving, then the Earth itself must be moving. Interestingly, the Qur’an compares this movement not to the self-propelled motion of wind but to clouds, which are moved by wind. Mountains do not move of their own accord; their movement comes from the rotation of the Earth beneath them.
Even if one insists that this verse refers to the final Day, it still admits the metaphor of unseen motion—what appears still may in reality be moving, a truth unveiled only to those who observe carefully. Shaykh al-Shaʿrāwī responds to the traditional interpretation by reminding us that the Qur’an contains multiple layers of meaning, all of which can hold simultaneously.
The Qur’an’s Scientific Echoes
These verses we have explored represent but a fraction of the Qur’an’s attention to the Earth. The Qur’an is not a science textbook, nor does it claim to be one. It is a book of guidance, revelation, and remembrance. Yet it speaks of the Earth with a precision that engages the scientist, the philosopher, and the believer alike. It invites contemplation not only of physical phenomena but of their moral and spiritual consequences. The Qur’an calls us to walk the Earth, to study its layers, to read its past, and to discover in its present the signs of its Creator.
This is the geography of the Qur’an—not a dry recitation of latitudes and longitudes, but a living discourse on how the Earth speaks the language of its Maker. It is a geography that calls us to humility, knowledge, and a sense of purpose in this vast, orbiting home of ours. The Earth is not just where we live—it is where we witness, where we reflect, and where we are reminded, again and again, of the One who made it all.
{سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ}
“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth.” (Surah Fuṣṣilat, 41:53)
Indeed, the Earth is one of those signs. And to ignore it, or to treat it as incidental, is to miss one of the most powerful pathways to truth offered by the Qur’an.
