Epigraph
Allah is He, Who created seven heavens and of the earth a similar number. (Al Quran 65:12)
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and whatever living creatures He has spread in both of them and He has the power to gather them together, when He will so please. (Al Quran 42:29)
Presented by Zia H Shah MD
Paul Charles William Davies is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, a professor in Arizona State University and director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. In the above video he asks a question: If there is intelligent extraterrestrial life, does Jesus has to take on their form and die for them for their salvation?
The above video is part of a longer video, which is included below.
The first two interviewees in the above video ask and are worried about the same question about Christianity and atonement that Paul Davies is concerned about.
Intuitively, it does not seem reasonable to most that Jesus be crucified or die a tragic death multiple times!
The Islamic theology does not require any vicarious atonement. The All Knowing, All Powerful and the Most Merciful can forgive, when a seeker acquires true repentance.
As a Muslim theologian I not only hope and think that there is extraterrestrial life, but I believe that when we do meet intelligent life from other planets, it will prospectively establish the truth of a great prophecy of the Quran against very high odds, when it was first made more than 14 centuries ago, in a small oasis, in the middle of the desert of Arabia, as noted in the verses quoted as epigraph above:
Allah is He, Who created seven heavens and of the earth a similar number. (Al Quran 65:12)
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and whatever living creatures He has spread in both of them and He has the power to gather them together, when He will so please. (Al Quran 42:29)
The language used in these verses is fairly specific and does not require any stretching on part of a believer like me. This you can attest for yourself by reviewing fifty different English translations of the Quran. The first of the above verses is the last verse of Surah Talaq and it is an additional amazing fact that while giving teachings about reasonable divorce proceedings, Allah chooses to highlight His infinite Providence by talking about multiple earths and extraterrestrial life. The mention of seven earths here is interpreted not as the literal numeral seven, rather in Arabic it is also used a metaphor for a very large or infinite number.
The number of galaxies in the universe is unknown, but it is thought to be somewhere between hundreds of billions and two trillion. Now that we know from cosmology that there are billions of galaxies and stars, based on the verse of Surah Talaq, it is reasonable to interpret that there are billions of life bearing earths also. Our universe is teaming with life!
The second of the above verses from Surah Al-Shura talks about there being life in other earths and throws in a suggestion of them meeting together in this very life or in Afterlife.
I believe that Allah is presenting both the possibilities, in other words the humans meeting the extraterrestrial intelligent aliens in this very life is a very real possibility. Exactly when? Time will tell!
The Quranic Compassion 
I Love to read Quran Pak
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