Came across an interesting article !
Extraterrestrials in Judaism and Islam, page 1
Extraterrestrials in Judaism and Islam
The Noble Quran
Much has been written about Extraterrestrials in the Bible, this article will focus on the same in Judaism and Islam. All major Religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism) confirm what we all know intuitively: That the Universe contains many, many worlds and that it is teeming with life.
1. Extraterrestrials in Islam
He is the Lord of all the Worlds
Quran 41:10
Just like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is not earth-centric but tells tales of many worlds both physical and spiritual.
They did not esteem the Almighty the way he deserves, whereas all the earths would be in his fist on the last day, and the skies rolled up in his hand
39:67
Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof...
Quran 65:13
These quotes (and there are many more like it) show that Islam mentioned other heavens and other "earths" (plural). Some islamic scholars say that "seven heavens" refers to seven galaxies, each of these galaxies containing an earth-like planet.
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and of whatever living creatures (da'bbah) He has spread forth in both. And He has the power to gather them together (jam-'i-him) when He will so please.
The term "da'bbah", as islamic scholars explain, does not refer to angelic or spiritual life (for which there are other words), but to real, physical creatures. It therefore follows that the "heavens" in which there are physical creatures are places in other galaxies rather than spiritual locations. Furthermore:
Jam-'i-him is the Arabic expression in this verse which specifically speaks of bringing together of life on earth and the life elsewhere. When this meeting of the two will take place is not specified, nor is it mentioned whether it will happen here on earth or elsewhere.
Since modern schooling tries to sell us the dull view that we live in an empty, pointless and coincidental Universe, this Verse is of particular interest:
He did not create the skies and the earth and that which exists in between pointlessly38:27
More narrow interpretations of religious scripture say that God created only humans and only earth. This view is put to question by various passages in the Quran that say that "humans" are also in other places in the Universe and that there are other "earths". The misunderstanding is merely in the terminology. According to the Quran, The Almighty created rulers of various places and also...
'I will create a vicegerent on Earth.'2:30
For further reading and in-depth research please refer to the source linked.
If it be ye can pass beyond the zones of the heavens and the earth, pass ye! not without authority shall ye be able to pass!55:33
None in the heavens or on earth, except God, knows what is hidden27:65
2. Extraterrestrials in Judaism
Jewish Synagogue, Budapest
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan has the following to say (most relevant passages quoted):
the Talmud reckons that there are some [10 to the 18th power] stars in the observable universe, and explicitly states that they were all created for the sake of man
A fascinating aspect of ancient jewish scripture are the numbers given, which appear to be not so much aligned with stone-agers but with space-age thinking.
Our Sages realized the vast number of stars in the universe, and also realized that many of them were many orders of magnitude larger than the earth. (Maimonides - Foundations of Torah 3:8)
...It should be quite simple to understand that size and quantity alone are meaningless to an infinite God.
there is nothing in Jewish theology to preclude the existence of life on other worlds. As possible evidence for extraterrestrial life, he quotes the Talmudic teaching (Avoda Zara 3b) that "God flies through 18,000 worlds." Since they require His providence, we may assume that they are inhabited.
In the song of Deborah, we find the verse, "Cursed is Meroz... cursed are its inhabitants" (Judges 5:23). In the Talmud, we find the opinion that Meroz is the name of a star. According to this opinion, the fact that Scripture states, "Cursed is Meroz... cursed are its inhabitants" is clear proof from the words of our Sages for extraterrestrial life.
The Midrash teaches us that there are seven earths
Speaking of the verse (Song of Songs 6:8), "Worlds without number," the Tikunei Zohar states: "The stars certainly are without number. But each star is called a separate world. These are the worlds without number."
The following passage sounds like science-fiction in stating that, with merit, one can be given a star-system to rule over:
The Tikunei Zohar further states that every tzaddik (righteous person) will rule over a star, and therefore have a world unto himself. The 18,000 worlds mentioned above would therefore be that number of stars, presided over by the 18,000 tzaddikim that are alluded to in the verse (Ezekiel 48:35), "Around Him are 18,000." However, these may only refer to those worlds visited daily by the divine presence, but there may be innumerable worlds for the lesser tzaddikim.
We therefore have a most fascinating reason why the stars were created, and why they contain intelligent life. Since an overcrowded Earth will not give the tzaddikim the breadth they require, each one will be given his own planet, with its entire population to enhance his spiritual growth.
This passage indicates that space-travel was understood and predicted a long time ago:
Once we know that the stars and their planets were created as an abode for the tzaddikim, we might naturally wonder how they will be transported to them. However, the Talmud even provides an answer to this question. Discussing the passage (Isaiah 40:31), "They shall mount up with wings as eagles," the Talmud states that in the future world, God will grant the tzaddikim wings to escape the earth. The Zohar goes a step further and states that "God will give them wings to fly through the entire universe."
