Why the Word "Earth" Does Not Appear in the Plural in the Qur'an

Question

In the Noble Qur'an the word "earth" (arḍ) does not occur in the plural — it is used only in the singular, whereas for "heaven" the plural is used, as, for example, in Ayat al-Kursi: [ar]لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ[/ar] "To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth" (Surah Al-Baqara, 2:255). Does the earth not have layers, just as heaven consists of seven layers?

Answer

That there are seven earths is clearly established by hadith, and also mentioned in the Noble Qur'an, at the end of Surah At-Talaq: [ar]وَٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَـٰوَٰتٍ وَمِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ[/ar] "Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof" (Surah At-Talaq, 65:12).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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