What does Islam say about the age of the Earth?
Islam does not give a number for the age of the Earth. The Quran says Allah created the heavens and the earth in "six days", and elsewhere it shows that a "day" with Allah can mean a very long period. Because of this, many Muslims accept scientific estimates of billions of years, while others simply say that Allah knows best. Neither view rejects the Quran.
The "six days" of creation
Several verses describe creation in six days:
The Arabic word is yawm. It can mean a day of 24 hours, but it can also mean a period or stage of unknown length. The Quran itself uses it that way. It says that "a day with your Lord is indeed like a thousand years by your counting" (Quran 22:47) and speaks of a Day "fifty thousand years in length" (Quran 70:4). So "six days" does not have to mean six ordinary days. The Quran gives no date for when creation began.
What science estimates
Scientists estimate that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, based on radiometric dating of rocks and meteorites, and that the universe is about 13.8 billion years old. Islam does not have an official position that denies these estimates. The Quran leaves such details to human study and invites people to reflect on creation (Quran 3:190-191).
Different Muslim views
- Six long periods: many contemporary Muslims, including scientists, read the "days" as long stages and accept the scientific timeline.
- Allah knows best: others say the Quran does not tell us the timeline, so they neither affirm nor deny a number.
- Literal days: a smaller group reads the days as ordinary days and may be sceptical of long timelines. This view is not based on any explicit Quran or hadith statement about the Earth's age.
These are differences in interpreting a subject the revelation does not settle, so no Muslim should be called a disbeliever over them. The essentials are the same for all: Allah created the heavens and the earth, and everything happens by His will.
Adam and the age of humanity
The age of the Earth is a separate question from the origin of humans. Muslims believe Adam was created specially by Allah, and the Quran does not give a date for him either. For how Muslims discuss evolution, see Can I believe in evolution as a Muslim?
Related questions
If you are curious about how scientific findings connect to the Quran, you might also read Do Muslims believe in the Big Bang? and Does the Quran mention dinosaurs?
- The Quran gives no number for the age of the Earth.
- "Six days" can mean six periods of unknown length (Quran 22:47, Quran 70:4).
- Many Muslims accept the scientific estimate of about 4.5 billion years.
- The origin of Adam is a separate question from the age of the Earth.
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