Short answer: the Quran does not say clearly that there is life on other planets, and it does not deny it. Some Muslim writers read verses such as 42:29, about the creatures Allah has spread through the heavens and the earth, as leaving room for it, while the classical exegetes mostly took the creatures of the heavens to be the angels. A Muslim is not required to believe either way. What Islam does teach is that Allah creates what we do not know, and that angels and jinn are real, but they are not aliens.
What the Quran says
Three verses come up in every discussion of this question. Read them as they are first.
وَمِنْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ خَلْقُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَثَّ فِيهِمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ ۚ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَآءُ قَدِيرٌۭ
Wa min Aayaatihee khalqus samaawaati wal ardi wa maa bassa feehimaa min daaabbah; wa Huwa 'alaa jam'ihim izaa yashaaa'u Qadeer
"And of his signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and what He has dispersed throughout them of creatures. And He, for gathering them when He wills, is competent."
Quran 42:29 · translation by Sahih International
وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
Wa lillaahi yasjudu maa fis samaawaati wa maa fil ardi min daaabbatinw walma laaa'ikatu wa hum laa yastakbiroon
"And to Allah prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of creatures, and the angels [as well], and they are not arrogant."
Quran 16:49 · translation by Sahih International
The word translated "creatures" in both verses is dabbah, which in Arabic means a creature that moves or walks. And the Quran reminds us how little we know of creation:
وَٱلْخَيْلَ وَٱلْبِغَالَ وَٱلْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةًۭ ۚ وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Walkhaila wal bighaala wal hameera litarkaboohaa wa zeenah; wa yakhluqu maa laa ta'lamoon
"And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. And He creates that which you do not know."
Quran 16:8 · translation by Sahih International
How the scholars read these verses
- The classical reading. Many early exegetes said the creatures "in the heavens" are the angels, and those on earth are people, jinn and animals. Ibn Kathir, explaining 42:29, says it includes the angels, jinn, humans and all the animals. In 16:49 the angels are named separately, which some scholars took as a sign that dabbah there means something else.
- "Lord of the worlds". The Quran opens with Allah as "Lord of the worlds" (1:2). Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (died 1210), explaining this phrase, argued that nothing rules out Allah having created many worlds beyond this one, each with what He wills in it.
- Modern writers. Some modern translators and writers, such as Abdullah Yusuf Ali, said it is reasonable to think life exists in some form elsewhere. That is a possibility they allowed, not something the verse proves.
So the honest summary is: the verses leave room for life elsewhere, the classical reading points to angels, and no verse states plainly that there are living beings on other planets.
"Seven earths": are there other worlds like ours?
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٍۢ وَمِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ ٱلْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًۢا
Allaahul lazee khalaq Sab'a Samaawaatinw wa minal ardi mislahunna yatanazzalul amru bainahunna lita'lamooo annal laaha 'alaa kulli shai'in Qadeerunw wa annal laaha qad ahaata bikulli shai'in ilmaa
"It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them. [His] command descends among them so you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge."
Quran 65:12 · translation by Sahih International
A report from Ibn Abbas says each of the seven earths has a prophet like our prophets. Al-Bayhaqi said its chain is sound but the report is shadh: very odd, against what is better established. Most scholars did not build any belief on it, and many explained the seven earths as layers of this earth. See the seven heavens in Islam for more.
Are jinn aliens?
No. Jinn are a creation of their own, made "from a smokeless flame of fire" (55:15). They live on this earth, they are usually unseen, and like humans they are accountable to Allah. They are not beings from another planet, and stories of UFOs are not evidence of jinn, or of aliens. Read more in jinn in Islam. Angels are also not aliens: they are made of light, they obey Allah without fail, and belief in them is a pillar of faith.
What we know and what we do not
| Question | What Islam says |
|---|---|
| Did Allah create beings we do not know of? | Yes. "He creates that which you do not know" (16:8). |
| Are there creatures in the heavens? | Yes, at least the angels. Whether there are others is not stated. |
| Is there life on other planets? | Not known. The Quran neither states nor denies it. |
| Must a Muslim believe in aliens? | No. It is not part of the creed. |
| May a Muslim think aliens possible? | Yes. Scholars such as al-Razi allowed many worlds. |
| Are jinn or angels aliens? | No. Both are their own creations, described in the Quran and Sunnah. |
| Were other prophets sent to other worlds? | Not known. The only report on it is very weak in its meaning (shadh). |
If life were found, would it shake Islam?
No. Nothing in the creed depends on there being no life elsewhere. Allah is the Creator of everything, "over all things competent", and He has "encompassed all things in knowledge" (65:12). The Prophet ﷺ was sent to humans and jinn, and the Quran does not tell us what Allah has asked of any other creature, so a Muslim would simply say: Allah knows best, and glory be to Him who creates what He wills.
The Quran's own interest in the sky is not to answer this question. It asks us to look up and reflect: "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding" (3:190). Read more in space and the universe in Islam.
FAQ
Does the Quran mention aliens?
Not by name, and no verse states clearly that there is life on other planets. Verses such as 42:29 speak of creatures spread through the heavens and the earth, which most classical exegetes understood as the angels in the heavens.
Is it haram to believe in aliens?
No. A Muslim may think life elsewhere is possible, as scholars such as al-Razi allowed many worlds. It is not part of the creed either way.
Are aliens jinn?
No. Jinn are made from smokeless fire, live on this earth and are accountable to Allah. They are not beings from another planet.
What does "Lord of the worlds" mean?
Al-alamin covers every kind of creation: humans, jinn, angels, animals and whatever else Allah has made. Some scholars said it allows for worlds beyond ours.
Are there seven earths with prophets?
A report from Ibn Abbas says so, but al-Bayhaqi said it is shadh (very odd), and scholars did not build belief on it.
Sources
- Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, on 42:29 and 16:49.
- Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Mafatih al-Ghayb (al-Tafsir al-Kabir), on 1:2.
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, note on 42:29.
- The report from Ibn Abbas on 65:12: al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, and al-Bayhaqi, al-Asma wa al-Sifat, with al-Bayhaqi's comment that it is shadh.
- Quran 42:29, 16:49, 16:8, 1:2, 65:12, 55:15 and 3:190, Arabic from the Uthmani text, translation by Sahih International.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.