The Quran does not explicitly state the age of the Earth in years. However, it describes the creation of the universe and Earth in "six days". Some interpretations suggest these "days" could represent long periods of time, possibly billions of years. While the Quran doesn't give a specific number for the Earth's age, it does mention the creation of the heavens and earth in six days, with the Earth being created in two of those days. This is interpreted by some as the Earth being one third the age of the universe, which aligns with scientific estimations of the universe and Earth's age.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
·
Six Days of
Creation:
The Quran repeatedly mentions that the universe and
everything in it, including the Earth, were created in six "days".
·
Earth's
Creation:
The Quran specifies that the creation of the Earth
took place in two of those six days.
·
Interpretations
of "Days":
Islamic scholars and commentators have offered
various interpretations of what these "days" represent. Some
believe they are literal 24-hour days, while others understand them to be long
periods or epochs.
·
Scientific
Correlation:
Modern science estimates the Earth to be around
4.54 billion years old and the universe around 13.8 billion years old.
·
Ratio of
Earth's Age to Universe's Age:
The ratio of Earth's age to the universe's age,
based on scientific estimations, is approximately 1/3, which is consistent with
the Quran's description of Earth being created in two out of six days.
The Christian
Bible puts the creation of Earth on day one, making the age of Earth equal to
the age of the universe. This is also found in the Quran however the universe
is 6 days old while Earth is only 2 days old. Skeptics claim that whoever wrote
the Quran made a copying mistake; putting age of Earth at 1/3 age of universe.
Today cosmologists confirm that the universe is 3 times the age of Earth.
We know from Einstein that my clock and your clock
will not run at the same rate. Time (or rate of our clocks) depends on
acceleration and/or gravity. If my clock accelerates and/or is in a strong
gravitational field then it will run slower than your clock.
Muslims believe that Paradise and Hell are both
much bigger and much more massive than Earth (but still much smaller than God's
Throne). The theory of general relativity says that time passes slower near an
object more massive than Earth (clocks run slower in stronger gravitational
fields). So according to general relativity time should pass in Paradise/Hell
much slower than on Earth. This was known recently, however this was portrayed
in the Quran 1400 years before it was discovered. In the Quran 1 day in Paradise/Hell
measures a 1000 years on Earth.
They challenge you to bring
forth that torture [in Hell] and Allah will not break His promise; a day of
your Lord [Paradise/Hell] is like a thousand years of what you count.
٤٧ وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ ۚ وَإِنَّ
يَوْمًا عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ
Here God promises those who do
not believe in Hell and punishment that each day of their torture in Hell will
measure a thousand years on Earth. So according to the Quran, time passes
faster on Earth than in Paradise/Hell. But this agrees with the theory of
general relativity which says that time passes slower near bigger mass.
Paradise and Hell are much more massive than Earth and time should pass there
much slower than on Earth.
Christians believe that God created the universe
in 6 earthly days and rested on the 7th. Muslims believe that 6 days passed at
God's Throne but we experienced 13.8 billion years on Earth. Muslims believe
that God is not bound to His Throne; rather He created it and set it as a
reference. The Quran says that God's Throne is even wider than the whole
universe, so how about the mass of God's Throne? God's Throne is much more
massive than Earth. Time should pass there much slower than on Earth.
Our solar system is 4.6 billion years old. Earth
started accreting concurrently with the sun and our neighbouring planets 4.6
bln years ago. However the universe is 13.8 bln years old. This places the age
of Earth at one third the age of the universe (4.6 bln/13.8 bln = 1/3). In the
Quran God's Throne is used as a reference. In God's Throne time Earth is 2 days
old while the Heavens, Earth and everything in between are 6 days old (2/6 =
1/3):
And your Lord, Allah, who created the Heavens and
the Earth in six days and then settled on the Throne. [Allah] Covers the night
with the day, asks for it persistently; and the sun and the moon and the stars
enslaved by His orders. Is this not His creation and His command? Blessed be
Allah the Lord of all the worlds.
٥٤ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ
أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ
يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ
بِأَمْرِهِ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ
الْعَالَمِينَ
Those six days are on the
Throne; so the frame of reference for creation is the Throne, not Earth.
Say: "Is it that you deny
Him [Allah] who created the Earth in two days? And you claim others to be equal
to Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds."
٩ قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ
وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
And we have created the Heavens and Earth and
EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN in six days and We were not touched by fatigue.
٣٨ وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ
أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ
All those days are on the
Throne; the frame of reference for creation is the Throne. When God says that
He created the Heavens, Earth and EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN (including you and me)
in six days this means that He is referring to the period of existence. Earth
has been in existence for 2 days out of 6 (2/6 = 1/3).
Muslims believe that God sustains all living
things. And all His commands to the angels to sustain man and animals were
inscribed on the Preserved Tablet. The Quran says that not even a leaf would
drop on Earth without it being previously recorded on this Preserved Tablet.
God says that He inscribed this Preserved Tablet before the creation of Earth
started; He answered our prayers today (as commands for the angels on the
Preserved Tablet) during the first four days when Earth was still smoke. After
this He ordered Earth to form.
Say: "Is it that you deny
Him [Allah] who created the Earth in two days? And you claim others to be equal
to Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds." He set on it (Earth)
mountains, and bestowed it with blessings. And [Allah] estimated all its
sustenance in four days, equally for those who ask (prayers) AFTER THIS [Allah]
commanded the heaven and it was still smoke. He said to it and to Earth:
"Come together, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do
come together, in willing obedience". So [Allah] judged them as seven
heavens (one above the other) in two days and revealed to each heaven its
orders. And We [Allah] adorned the lowest heaven with lights, and protection.
Such is the decree of the Exalted; the Knowledgeable.
٩ قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ
وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
١٠ وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا
أَقْوَاتَهَا فِي أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاءً لِلسَّائِلِينَ
١١ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ
ائْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ
١٢ فَقَضَاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَوْحَىٰ فِي كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ
أَمْرَهَا ۚ وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ وَحِفْظًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ
تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
God answered our prayers today when Earth was
still smoke (the first four days). After this (Thumma in Arabic) God ordered
Earth to form. The formation of Earth took two days. So our prayers today are
already answered on the Preserved Tablet since before the formation of Earth
started. Also in the first two days God judged the seven superimposed heavens
and revealed His orders to the angels (as instructions on the Preserved Tablet).
In God's Throne time, Earth is 2 days old while
the Heavens, Earth and everything in between are 6 days old. This makes the age
of Earth to be one third the age of the universe (2/6 = 1/3). Similarly in
Earth time, the age of Earth is 4.6 billion years while the age of the universe
is 13.8 billion years; this is also one third (4.6 bln/13.8 bln = 1/3). So it
is the same ratio in Earth time or in God's Throne time. The theory of general
relativity explains why time at God's Throne passes slower than on Earth.
General relativity explains why 6 days passed at God's Throne but we measured
it as 13.8 billion years. So according to the Quran:
We are sure that time is
relative, that is, the age of the universe is different for observers with
clocks running at different rates. For example, there exists an observer who
measures the age of the universe to be 3 billion years, however he also measures
the age of Earth to be 1 billion years. But the Quran presented it as a ratio
(1/3) and this ratio turned out to be correct for any observer (whatever the
clock rate). If the Quran presented it in any form other than a ratio it would
have been wrong for different observers.
The smaller the mass, the
faster the time
How could an illiterate man who
lived 1400 years ago have known about age of universe?
