The Concept of Seven Earths (Sab Arzeen) in the Qur'an and Sunnah: An Analytical Study in the Light of Classical Exegesis and Contemporary Scientific Perspectives

Abstract

The concept of Seven Earths (Sab‘ Arāḍīn) is one of the significant cosmological themes mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. While the Qur'an explicitly refers to the creation of seven heavens and "the like of them from the earth" (Qur'an 65:12), it does not provide a detailed description of the nature, structure, or arrangement of the seven earths. This study aims to critically examine the concept of Seven Earths through a qualitative, analytical, and library-based research methodology by integrating Qur'anic verses, authentic Prophetic traditions, classical Qur'anic exegesis, linguistic analysis, and contemporary scientific discussions. The study reviews the interpretations of prominent classical exegetes, including al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, al-Ālūsī, Ibn ʿĀshūr, and Wahbah al-Zuḥaylī, alongside authentic narrations from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. It also critically evaluates modern attempts to correlate the concept of Seven Earths with geological layers, continents, and contemporary scientific theories. The findings indicate that the existence of Seven Earths is established by the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah; however, their exact nature and physical structure remain part of the unseen (ghayb) and have not been explicitly defined in the primary Islamic sources. Classical Muslim scholars generally affirmed their existence while refraining from speculative interpretations regarding their modality. The study further concludes that contemporary scientific perspectives may provide supportive insights but should not be regarded as definitive interpretations of the Qur'anic text. A balanced methodological approach, grounded in the principles of Qur'anic exegesis and Hadith scholarship, offers the most reliable framework for understanding this subject.