(O Muhammad) mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them, then the wrong-doers will say: "Our Lord Respite us for a little while, we will answer Your Call and follow the Messengers!" (It will be said). "Had you not Sworn aforetime that you would not leave (the world for the Hereafter). And you dwelt in the dwellings of men who wronged themselves, and it was clear to you how We had dealt with them. And We put forth (many) parables for you, Indeed, they planned their plot, and their plot was with Allah, though their plot was a great (one, still) it would never be able to remove the mountains (real mountains or the Islamic law) from their places. So think not that Allah will fail to keep His Promise to His Messengers. Certainly, Allah is AllMighty, All-Able of Retribution.

(Ibrâhîm: 42-47)

Numerous Qur'anic verses and Prophetic Ahadith prohibit oppression, but the above-mentioned Ahadith focus on the seven earths. People became confused in understanding the indication of this cosmic sign, and posed many questions regarding this issue such as the following: Do the seven earths refer to seven separate planets like our earth? Are they the planets of the solar system as thought until a short time ago before astronomers discovered that there are eleven planets? Or are they planets of other stars in our galaxy, or other separate galaxies? If this is true, where are they? This is especially important in the light of the fact that the number of planets similar to the earth, in the realized part of the nearest heaven, is great Many researches in astronomy have succeeded in discovering a number of these planets in spite of the difficulties they faced are they distributed throughout the seven heavens on the assumption that each earth has its own heaven as imagined by some people? This assumption is rejected by the Qur’anic verses that assure us that stars (and hence their fellow planets) are the adornment of the nearest heaven only. This is based on Almighty Allah's saying, (And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps... è

(Al-Mulk: 5)

Finally, are they seven zones in our earth; the outer of them surrounding the innermost and do they coincide around one center?

Explanation of the Hadith

The Inner Composition of the Earth Studies in the field of geology have proven that the earth is composed of seven zones, identified from the inner layer to the outer one as follows:

1- The Solid Inner Core (central part) of the Earth:

It is made up of a solid core consisting mostly of iron (90%) and nickel (9%) in addition to a small amount of light elements such as carbon, phosphorous, Sulfur, silicon, and oxygen (1%). Its composition is similar to that of the iron meteorites with a remarkable increase in the percentage of iron. The diameter of this core is approximately 2,402 km. Its density is estimated at about 10 - 13.5gm/cubic centimeter in average (because the average of the density of the rocks of the earth's crust is estimated at 2.7 - 3 gm/cubic centimeter and the average of the earth's density as a whole is 5.5 gm/cubic centimeter). Actually, this strongly proves the existence of materials with high density in the core of the earth. This core is considered to be the seventh earth.

2-The Liquid Outer Core (central part) of the Earth:

It is a liquid core that encircles the solid one and is made up of almost the same chemical composition, but in a molten state. Its thickness is estimated to be about 2,275 km. It is separated from the solid core by a transitional semi-molten Zone, the thickness of which amounts to 450 km, which is considered to be the lower or the inner part of this zone that represents the sixth earth. Both the solid and liquid cores form 31% of the mass of the Earth.

3-The Lower Mantle:

It is a solid zone that surrounds the liquid core of the earth. Its thickness amounts to about 2.215 km (its depth extends from 670 km to 2,885 km). It is separated from the middle mantle (above it) by a boundary layer characterized by the discontinuity of seismic velocities of earthquake waves. This layer stands as the fifth earth.

4-The Middle Mantle

This is a solid zone, the thickness of which is about 270 km. It is separated from the upper and lower layers by two discontinuing levels of seismic waves. One of these levels extends to 670 km (and separates it from the lower mantle). The other level extends to 400 km beneath the earth's surface and separates it from the upper mantle. This zone is the fourth earth.

5-The Upper Mantle

This Zone is in a semi-molten state with relatively high density and viscosity. The melting percentage within it is about 1%, and hence it is known as the zone of weakness (the asthenosphere). Its depth extends from 65 - 120 km to 400 km beneath the surface of the earth. Therefore, its thickness ranges between 335 and 380 km. This zone is the third earth.

6-The Lower Zone of the Rocky Crust of the Earth (Lithosphere)

Its thickness ranges between 40 and 60 km and lies under seas and oceans at depths between 60 - 80 km and 120 km beneath the surface of the earth. It lies above the upper layer of the earth's zone, and on top of it lies the discontinuity level of the seismic velocities known as the "Moho Discontinuity.” This zone is considered to be the second earth.

7-The Upper Zone of the Rocky Crust of the Earth (the Earth's Crust)

Its thickness ranges between 5 and 8 km under the bottom of seas and oceans and between 60 and 80 km in average below the continents. It is made up mostly of granite rock covered by a soft, thick layer of consecutive sediments and soil. They mostly consist of light elements, which constitute the masses of the continents, the basic rocks, ultramafic rocks, and some sediments found in the bottoms of seas and oceans. The earth's crust is considered to be the first earth. This commentary coincides with the above-mentioned Ahadith of the Prophet is especially as it refers to the miraculous expression, "He will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection," indicating the stratification of these earths around one center. This commentary is supported by the following Qura'nic verses that read,

(On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens, and they (all creatures) will appear before Allah, the One, the Irresistible.

(İbrahîm: 48)

(It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof (i.e. seven). His Command descends between them (heavens and earth), that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah surrounds all things in (His) Knowledge.)

(At-Talaq: 12)

(Who has created the seven heavens one above another, you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Beneficent. Then look again. 'Can you see any rifts?' Then look again and yet again, your sight will return to you in a state of humiliation and worn out.

(Al-Mulk: 3-4)

Here, “one above another” means that they are stratified around one center: the outer of which covers and encircles the inner. It does not mean, as thought by some people, that they are arranged horizontally in layers one above the other. May Allah have mercy on al-Yaqa'i who said, "Tibaqdi' means have layers in such a way that each portion of it coincides with the facing portion of the other layer and no portion of it violates or exceeds this arrangement. The earth is not as such unless it is in the form of a hollow ball and the nearest sky encloses it from all sides as the covering membrane of an egg. Moreover, the second sky encloses the nearest heaven from all sides and so on, until it comes to the Throne of Almighty Allah that encloses all and the Kursi (Holy Chair), the bulk of which is as a ring in the wilderness. So, imagine what is under it. This is approved by reliable astronomers and there is nothing in the Shari'ah (Islamic law) that contradicts it. Rather, the literal meaning of what is mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an and the Sunnah coincides with this interpretation.