A study of the Notion of "Seven Earths" in the Quran

The final verse of the Sura At-Talaq has made indirect references to the creation of Seven Earths. Accordingly, renowned commentators have argued for the existence of seven earths. On the other hand, the modern science has demonstrated that there are many planets and stars, but no trace of seven earths has been discovered so far. The present article, after reviewing the historical background of the Seven Earths notion, and examining the most important descriptive aspects of this Qur'anic concept, concludes that "earth" is a generic noun, and any stretch or breadth of land on which humans set foot can be considered as a part of the earth. Additionally, number seven can also be interpreted as the "absolute plurality" as Arabs employ this number to express plurality. In this way, the Qur'an points to the plurality of earths, as we also deal with the concept of plurality and abundance of lands in the outer world.