Age of the Universe in the quran
The Quran asserts that the universe in its current form has been created in 6 periods (note that the Arabic word for "days" (yom) also means "periods" or "eons". Also note there is no word for "space" or "universe" in classical Quranic Arabic--the word that refers to them is "heavens"--that is, the Earth is where we are at, the "heavens" are what we see when we look up above).
[Quran 7:54] Indeed, your Lord is Allah , who created the heavens and earth in six days...
The Quran also asserts that the Earth in its current form has been in existence for 2 periods:
[Quran 41:9] Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days...
The Quran makes it clear elsewhere that the periods discussed refer to the periods of existence:
[Quran 50:38] And indeed we created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six days
When the Quran says that Allah created the Universe and the Earth and Everything in between them (including humans and all other things presently on Earth) in six days this means that the Quran is referring to the period of existence. That means that in the distant future, the Quran would say that Allah created the universe and the earth and all that is between them (what will become between them) in 7, or 8, or 9 periods and so on. In other words, this is similar to Carl Sagan's 12 month cosmic calendar.
At the time of the Quranic revelation (everything in between of the universe and earth), the universe has existed for 6 periods. And the Earth (which is contained in the universe) has existed for 2 periods out of the 6. This makes the Earth to be 2/6th (1/3rd ) the age of the universe.
Modern cosmology estimates that the universe is 13.7 billion years old and that the Earth is 4.54 billion years old. 4.54/13.7 is roughly 1/3rd. So according to modern cosmology, the Earth should be roughly 1/3rd the age of the universe. This cosmological finding interestingly complements the Quran! Why did the Quran accurately say Earth was created in 2 periods? Why did it give the correct ratio? How did an unlettered prophet know such a thing?
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Now, let's turn our attention into another set of verses:
[Quran 41:10] And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information] of those who ask.
Notice how the Quran used the word "and" rather than "then". This means these two statements are not successive events, but just a description of what Allah did. The verse states that Allah determined Earth's sustenance in 4 days. This may refer to the determination of the length of time set to establish Earth's provision (materials that contribute to the formation of the Earth to be in the right location at the right time as Allah determined--this took 4 days). See picture below:
[Quran 7:54] Indeed, your Lord is Allah , who created the heavens and earth in six days...
The Quran also asserts that the Earth in its current form has been in existence for 2 periods:
[Quran 41:9] Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days...
The Quran makes it clear elsewhere that the periods discussed refer to the periods of existence:
[Quran 50:38] And indeed we created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six days
When the Quran says that Allah created the Universe and the Earth and Everything in between them (including humans and all other things presently on Earth) in six days this means that the Quran is referring to the period of existence. That means that in the distant future, the Quran would say that Allah created the universe and the earth and all that is between them (what will become between them) in 7, or 8, or 9 periods and so on. In other words, this is similar to Carl Sagan's 12 month cosmic calendar.
At the time of the Quranic revelation (everything in between of the universe and earth), the universe has existed for 6 periods. And the Earth (which is contained in the universe) has existed for 2 periods out of the 6. This makes the Earth to be 2/6th (1/3rd ) the age of the universe.
Modern cosmology estimates that the universe is 13.7 billion years old and that the Earth is 4.54 billion years old. 4.54/13.7 is roughly 1/3rd. So according to modern cosmology, the Earth should be roughly 1/3rd the age of the universe. This cosmological finding interestingly complements the Quran! Why did the Quran accurately say Earth was created in 2 periods? Why did it give the correct ratio? How did an unlettered prophet know such a thing?
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Now, let's turn our attention into another set of verses:
[Quran 41:10] And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information] of those who ask.
Notice how the Quran used the word "and" rather than "then". This means these two statements are not successive events, but just a description of what Allah did. The verse states that Allah determined Earth's sustenance in 4 days. This may refer to the determination of the length of time set to establish Earth's provision (materials that contribute to the formation of the Earth to be in the right location at the right time as Allah determined--this took 4 days). See picture below:
[Quran 41:11] Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come, willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly."
Now, the Quran uses the word "then" to indicate a successive event. That is: after Allah determined the provision of the Earth in 4 days, he made the Earth and the Heaven come together. This is also very interesting in its cosmological accuracy. The Earth formed through an accretion process whereby star dust collapsed in itself due to the force of gravity which led to the birth of our planet.
Here is a video describing the process. Note the smoke/dust and the primitive Earth coming together just as the Quran described with stunning accuracy:
Now, the Quran uses the word "then" to indicate a successive event. That is: after Allah determined the provision of the Earth in 4 days, he made the Earth and the Heaven come together. This is also very interesting in its cosmological accuracy. The Earth formed through an accretion process whereby star dust collapsed in itself due to the force of gravity which led to the birth of our planet.
Here is a video describing the process. Note the smoke/dust and the primitive Earth coming together just as the Quran described with stunning accuracy:
As a side note (ignore this if it doesn't concern you as it is not important for the above article, but instead is just a side note): note that the conjunction "then" does not have to refer to the entirety of the previous verse. The previous verse uses the conjunction "and" between two clauses. Thus, the subsequent verse's use of "then" can apply to the latter of the clauses or the whole previous verse. Don't make the assumption it must apply to the whole previous verse and not the latter clause. That would just be an assumption not grounded in any reason/justification. For example, I could say: "I went to the grocery store and determined what I would buy. Then I bought it". The word "then" does not mean I bought the stuff after I went to the grocery store, it means I bought the stuff after I determined what I would buy. In other words, "then" is used as a conjunction for the latter half of the clause of the previous sentence and not the full previous sentence nor the former half of the clause of the previous sentence.
[Quran 41:12] And ('fa'), He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven ("asama adunya") with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
Notice how this verse says "completed" them as 7 heavens within two days. This implies that the multiple heavens were already in process and 2 days after the formation of the Earth, the process was continued and completed by day 6. Recall, as we discussed above, that the 6 days of creations refer to periods/eons and more importantly that the 6 days of creation includes whatever is in between the Earth and the Heavens (that includes humans). So the 6th day is when the Quran was speaking about this--since during the Quran's revelation, Allah informed us that everything in between the heavens/Earth (which includes humans) was created in 6 days (so the 6 days of creation includes humans). With this in mind, we see this verse is telling us that the heavens (plural) were made several (note "seven" in Arabic denotes a multiplicity, not necessarily a discreet number, see article below). Indeed, if the 6th period of creation encompasses the time the Quran was revealed (see above), then the heavens were completed as the number that they are when the Quran was revealed (several) 2 periods after the beginning of the creation of the Earth (day 4)--4+2=6. Indeed, you can complete something as it is in a certain period of time, and then come back to it later. We know that in the Quran, the 6 day timeframe is the period of existence. So when the Quran discusses completion of something, with this timeframe in mind, it is referring to how things are in the moment the Quran was revealed. Allah completed those things (as they were when the Quran was revealed) 2 days after the Earth was formed.
Additionally, a common theme within the Quran is that verses have multiple possible meanings--both as a way of testing us and as a way to appeal to 7th century beliefs. With this in mind, it is important to state that this verse may not be referring to the period after the formation of the Earth, and instead refers to the period before. The beginning of the verse starts with a 'fa' which can mean "then", "and", & "so". As such, it is possible this verse is not denoting a sequence of events. Rather Allah made the several universes (or the several clusters of our universe) within the first 2 days of creation--looking something like this. Again, it is also possible that Allah made the several universes (or the several clusters of our universe) within the last 2 days of creation. The language of the verse leaves both of these possibilities open. In fact, since the Quran is out to test us--the multiple meanings of the Quran is one mechanism of testing us. In other words, the fact that we are being tested on the Quran makes vagueness and it having verses with multiple meanings more likely. (See this and this article for more on this topic.)
What is meant by "heaven" and "heavens"? This is a good question--notice how this verse distinguishes between a singular heaven and the plural 'heavens'. The singular heaven ("asama adunya"--which is literally translated as "the heaven of the world") refers to the nearest heaven--our heaven. Now "heaven" can mean universe and thus several heavens means several universes. Or heaven can mean galactic systems or solar systems--and the nearest heaven is our galactic system or solar system. The fact is the Quran made a distinction between the near heaven and the other heavens. "Heavens" can refer to galactic systems or universes.
What about "adorned the nearest heaven with lamps"? First, note that in other verses, the Quran refers to the stars as lamps. So on its face, this verse means that the stars are in the nearest heaven (and thus heaven refers to 'universe' since the stars are in it). However, it is also possible that you can adorn our sky/atmosphere/solar-system with lamps that are not in them. "Adorn" means to make beautiful. You can make the night views of our solar system beautiful by putting lamps in distant star systems.
Does the Quran assert the existence of a Multiverse?
First, I wanted to mention that we have not found definitive scientific evidence that a multiverse exists. There remains no physical or experimental evidence that a Multiverse exists. However, it should be stated that if the Quran is silent on whether the multiverse exists or not, that does not include or exclude its existence. Indeed, the Quran may have only decided to give information that is relevant to the 7th century Arabs and as such mention of multiverse was excluded. In other words, Quranic silence on something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. However, the Quran does suggest that there are worlds beyond the universe. Quran 1:2 refers to Allah as the "lord of the worlds". Notice that "worlds" is plural--it doesn't just refer to this world, but other worlds as well. So the Quran implies that there are other worlds. Are these other worlds multiverses? Sure, that is a possibility--but it could even stem deeper than just physical multiverses. There could be entirely different dimensions of worlds/realities that are non-physical and are non-universes that exist. So indeed "worlds" can include multiverses, but it can even include completely different dimensions of realities/worlds that don't even resemble universes by any stretch of the imagination. There may even be worlds that humans cannot even imagine of.
As a side note, even the Quranic phrase "seven heavens" can also refer to the 'several universes'. Indeed, if the 6th period of creation encompasses the time the Quran was revealed (see above), then the universes were completed the number that they are when the Quran was revealed (several) 2 periods after the beginning of the creation of the Earth (day 4)--4+2=6. But again, it is also possible that the several heavens is more restrictive to things in our universes like nebulae, galactic systems, solar systems (more stars and their planets forming). Additionally, it is also possible that "several heavens" encompasses both of those meanings. We have encountered many times in the Quran multiple simultaneous meanings of words in which both meanings are true at the same time. There is no reason to assume that the Quran could not use multiple simultaneous meanings when referring to a phrase--in fact, saying this can't be the case is just an assumption.
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The above verses should be specific for the purposes of this article. As discussed elsewhere on this website, the miracles Allah reveals to us must not be too plentiful as it may hurt the integrity of the test of life (as an example, if a professor gives to many hints on an exam, he's practically giving away the answers which hurts the integrity of the exam--it's no longer as big of a test of knowledge)--see my other articles on this concept for more information. I've included one inconclusive verse below as a supplement to the above article:
[Quran 2:29] It is He who created for you all of that which is in ("Fi") the earth. Then ("Thumma") He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things.
This verse is again very stunning in its careful accuracy. This verse said that Allah had created ALL that is IN the Earth THEN made the several heavens! Indeed all the matter on earth originated from the big bang before the universe grew to its size.
It is quite interesting the verse specifically said "Allah created for you what is IN the Earth" rather than just "Allah created for you the Earth". This verse is referring to the material on Earth--not the planet itself. Indeed, all the matter that exists on the Earth was created at the big bang (the initial event of creation) and then the universe formed and expanded into its size.
It is of note that the Quran did not specify what Allah meant by "all of that which is in the Earth". So this could be referring to (1) all the higher level structures in the Earth or (2) all the material/matter in the Earth. But which one is it, (1) or (2)? The Quran doesn't specify--yet we can't just blindly assume it's one or the other when either of them could be the case! The verse didn't specify. So which is it? Many times in the Quran, we are told to deeply consider and reflect upon it--indeed, we are told to not just passively understand it without deeply reflecting upon it--instead we should be appreciating the nuance and complexity it offers. For example, at the time this verse was revealed, prophet Muhammad was created and he is IN the Earth--does that mean Allah created prophet Muhammad first and then he made the several heavens? Of course not, that would be silly and indeed this is not what this verse is communicating. This verse thus must be referring to the material that is in the Earth.
However, this verse is not as conclusive as the above verses. This is why I put it down here. This verse may not be making the claim I just mentioned (however, the verses I mentioned above are more conclusive). First, the word translated "then" is the Arabic word "thumma"-- it can be rendered "Moreover/Furthermore", so it does not necessarily refer to a sequence of events and it may just listing two significant events that occured without defining a sequence for them. See article: Understanding Thumma. Additionally, the word "seven" in Arabic can also mean "several" not necessarily a number (7) and the word "heaven" (not plural) may refer the proximal sky/atmosphere. See article: Seven or Several. Words often have multiple meanings in Arabic and as such this verse could be a reference to one of those meanings and another verse which uses the same word may be a reference to another meaning of the word depending on context. Also note the Quran does have some vague statements in it as well and their true interpretation may not be known to us (3:7).
[Quran 41:12] And ('fa'), He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven ("asama adunya") with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
Notice how this verse says "completed" them as 7 heavens within two days. This implies that the multiple heavens were already in process and 2 days after the formation of the Earth, the process was continued and completed by day 6. Recall, as we discussed above, that the 6 days of creations refer to periods/eons and more importantly that the 6 days of creation includes whatever is in between the Earth and the Heavens (that includes humans). So the 6th day is when the Quran was speaking about this--since during the Quran's revelation, Allah informed us that everything in between the heavens/Earth (which includes humans) was created in 6 days (so the 6 days of creation includes humans). With this in mind, we see this verse is telling us that the heavens (plural) were made several (note "seven" in Arabic denotes a multiplicity, not necessarily a discreet number, see article below). Indeed, if the 6th period of creation encompasses the time the Quran was revealed (see above), then the heavens were completed as the number that they are when the Quran was revealed (several) 2 periods after the beginning of the creation of the Earth (day 4)--4+2=6. Indeed, you can complete something as it is in a certain period of time, and then come back to it later. We know that in the Quran, the 6 day timeframe is the period of existence. So when the Quran discusses completion of something, with this timeframe in mind, it is referring to how things are in the moment the Quran was revealed. Allah completed those things (as they were when the Quran was revealed) 2 days after the Earth was formed.
Additionally, a common theme within the Quran is that verses have multiple possible meanings--both as a way of testing us and as a way to appeal to 7th century beliefs. With this in mind, it is important to state that this verse may not be referring to the period after the formation of the Earth, and instead refers to the period before. The beginning of the verse starts with a 'fa' which can mean "then", "and", & "so". As such, it is possible this verse is not denoting a sequence of events. Rather Allah made the several universes (or the several clusters of our universe) within the first 2 days of creation--looking something like this. Again, it is also possible that Allah made the several universes (or the several clusters of our universe) within the last 2 days of creation. The language of the verse leaves both of these possibilities open. In fact, since the Quran is out to test us--the multiple meanings of the Quran is one mechanism of testing us. In other words, the fact that we are being tested on the Quran makes vagueness and it having verses with multiple meanings more likely. (See this and this article for more on this topic.)
What is meant by "heaven" and "heavens"? This is a good question--notice how this verse distinguishes between a singular heaven and the plural 'heavens'. The singular heaven ("asama adunya"--which is literally translated as "the heaven of the world") refers to the nearest heaven--our heaven. Now "heaven" can mean universe and thus several heavens means several universes. Or heaven can mean galactic systems or solar systems--and the nearest heaven is our galactic system or solar system. The fact is the Quran made a distinction between the near heaven and the other heavens. "Heavens" can refer to galactic systems or universes.
What about "adorned the nearest heaven with lamps"? First, note that in other verses, the Quran refers to the stars as lamps. So on its face, this verse means that the stars are in the nearest heaven (and thus heaven refers to 'universe' since the stars are in it). However, it is also possible that you can adorn our sky/atmosphere/solar-system with lamps that are not in them. "Adorn" means to make beautiful. You can make the night views of our solar system beautiful by putting lamps in distant star systems.
Does the Quran assert the existence of a Multiverse?
First, I wanted to mention that we have not found definitive scientific evidence that a multiverse exists. There remains no physical or experimental evidence that a Multiverse exists. However, it should be stated that if the Quran is silent on whether the multiverse exists or not, that does not include or exclude its existence. Indeed, the Quran may have only decided to give information that is relevant to the 7th century Arabs and as such mention of multiverse was excluded. In other words, Quranic silence on something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. However, the Quran does suggest that there are worlds beyond the universe. Quran 1:2 refers to Allah as the "lord of the worlds". Notice that "worlds" is plural--it doesn't just refer to this world, but other worlds as well. So the Quran implies that there are other worlds. Are these other worlds multiverses? Sure, that is a possibility--but it could even stem deeper than just physical multiverses. There could be entirely different dimensions of worlds/realities that are non-physical and are non-universes that exist. So indeed "worlds" can include multiverses, but it can even include completely different dimensions of realities/worlds that don't even resemble universes by any stretch of the imagination. There may even be worlds that humans cannot even imagine of.
As a side note, even the Quranic phrase "seven heavens" can also refer to the 'several universes'. Indeed, if the 6th period of creation encompasses the time the Quran was revealed (see above), then the universes were completed the number that they are when the Quran was revealed (several) 2 periods after the beginning of the creation of the Earth (day 4)--4+2=6. But again, it is also possible that the several heavens is more restrictive to things in our universes like nebulae, galactic systems, solar systems (more stars and their planets forming). Additionally, it is also possible that "several heavens" encompasses both of those meanings. We have encountered many times in the Quran multiple simultaneous meanings of words in which both meanings are true at the same time. There is no reason to assume that the Quran could not use multiple simultaneous meanings when referring to a phrase--in fact, saying this can't be the case is just an assumption.
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The above verses should be specific for the purposes of this article. As discussed elsewhere on this website, the miracles Allah reveals to us must not be too plentiful as it may hurt the integrity of the test of life (as an example, if a professor gives to many hints on an exam, he's practically giving away the answers which hurts the integrity of the exam--it's no longer as big of a test of knowledge)--see my other articles on this concept for more information. I've included one inconclusive verse below as a supplement to the above article:
[Quran 2:29] It is He who created for you all of that which is in ("Fi") the earth. Then ("Thumma") He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things.
This verse is again very stunning in its careful accuracy. This verse said that Allah had created ALL that is IN the Earth THEN made the several heavens! Indeed all the matter on earth originated from the big bang before the universe grew to its size.
It is quite interesting the verse specifically said "Allah created for you what is IN the Earth" rather than just "Allah created for you the Earth". This verse is referring to the material on Earth--not the planet itself. Indeed, all the matter that exists on the Earth was created at the big bang (the initial event of creation) and then the universe formed and expanded into its size.
It is of note that the Quran did not specify what Allah meant by "all of that which is in the Earth". So this could be referring to (1) all the higher level structures in the Earth or (2) all the material/matter in the Earth. But which one is it, (1) or (2)? The Quran doesn't specify--yet we can't just blindly assume it's one or the other when either of them could be the case! The verse didn't specify. So which is it? Many times in the Quran, we are told to deeply consider and reflect upon it--indeed, we are told to not just passively understand it without deeply reflecting upon it--instead we should be appreciating the nuance and complexity it offers. For example, at the time this verse was revealed, prophet Muhammad was created and he is IN the Earth--does that mean Allah created prophet Muhammad first and then he made the several heavens? Of course not, that would be silly and indeed this is not what this verse is communicating. This verse thus must be referring to the material that is in the Earth.
However, this verse is not as conclusive as the above verses. This is why I put it down here. This verse may not be making the claim I just mentioned (however, the verses I mentioned above are more conclusive). First, the word translated "then" is the Arabic word "thumma"-- it can be rendered "Moreover/Furthermore", so it does not necessarily refer to a sequence of events and it may just listing two significant events that occured without defining a sequence for them. See article: Understanding Thumma. Additionally, the word "seven" in Arabic can also mean "several" not necessarily a number (7) and the word "heaven" (not plural) may refer the proximal sky/atmosphere. See article: Seven or Several. Words often have multiple meanings in Arabic and as such this verse could be a reference to one of those meanings and another verse which uses the same word may be a reference to another meaning of the word depending on context. Also note the Quran does have some vague statements in it as well and their true interpretation may not be known to us (3:7).
