42:29
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the living creatures that He has scattered through them: and He has power to gather them together when He wills.
According to Muhammad Asad, the term “Heavens and Earth” denotes:
‘Lit., “in both”. In the Qur’an, the expression “the heavens and the earth” invariably denotes the universe in its entirety.’ (The Message of the Quran, pg. 950, note #33)
And also:
“It is Allah who has created the seven heavens and a like number of earths. His commandments are sent
between them, so that you would know that Allah has power over all things
and that His knowledge encompasses all” (The HolyKoran 65:☐2).
Some modern interpreters of the Qur’an suggest that its references to creation may imply a universe containing numerous worlds and forms of life. For example, Anisur Rahman argues that certain Qurʾānic passages indicate that the Earth may not be the only inhabited world and that living beings may exist elsewhere in the universe. In this interpretation, references to multiple “earths” or heavens—sometimes expressed through the symbolic number seven—are understood as indicating a vast multiplicity of worlds rather than a strictly literal count.
A similar perspective appears in the commentary of Abdullah Yusuf Ali in The Holy Quran: Text, Translation and Commentary. Discussing Qurʾānic passages that use the term dābbah—a word referring broadly to living creatures or moving beings—Ali notes that the Qurʾān often speaks of life in general terms encompassing many forms of living organisms. He relates this idea to the scientific observation that life shares a common biological foundation, frequently described in modern science as protoplasm, while simultaneously displaying immense diversity.
Ali further suggests that life may not necessarily be limited to Earth. Although definitive scientific evidence has not yet confirmed the existence of life beyond our planet, he argues that it is reasonable to consider the possibility that some form of life could exist on other celestial bodies among the countless objects in the universe. From this perspective, the potential existence of life elsewhere in the cosmos would be viewed as another sign of divine creative power, demonstrating the vastness of creation and the ability of God to sustain and ultimately gather all living beings.
References:
Asad, Muhammad (1980). (pg. 950). The Message of the Quran.
Rahman,Dr. Md. Anisur. Quran and Modern Science (pp. 80-81). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
Yusuf Ali, Abdullah. Translation and Commentary of the Quran. (p. 17-18).