Shoaib Ahmed Malik, who teaches and researches Islam and science, is a lecturer on science and religion at the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He and Jörg Matthias Determann, a professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, are coeditors of the recently published anthology Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life: New Frontiers in Science and Religion. In an interview with Diwan conducted via email in late September, Malik discussed the book and how its constituent chapters serve to shed light on a little-known aspect of Islamic theology.
Rayyan Al-Shawaf: How long have you and your coeditor, Jörg Matthias Determann, had an interest in this subject, and how did the project that resulted in Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life come about?
Shoaib Ahmed Malik: The project that resulted in Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life grew out of a shared scholarly curiosity between Determann and me. Both of us have been deeply invested in exploring the intersection of science and religion—and astrobiology (which studies the possibility of life beyond Earth), in particular, has fascinated us due to its far-reaching implications. While there has been significant Christian theological engagement with the possibility of extraterrestrial life, we noticed that Islamic perspectives on the matter were largely missing from the conversation. This gap was especially surprising given the rich intellectual tradition in Islam that has long engaged with cosmology, metaphysics, and questions about the nature of life beyond Earth.
Recognizing this, Determann and I decided to take action. In May 2022, we organized an online conference titled Islamic Perspectives on Exotheology, hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. The conference was a pioneering effort, bringing together a diverse range of scholars—Muslim theologians, philosophers, historians, and social scientists—all of whom were eager to explore the potential theological and ethical implications of discovering extraterrestrial life. The discussions were rich, addressing questions about human uniqueness, moral accountability of other sentient beings, and how the Quran and Hadith might be interpreted in light of such discoveries.
The success of that conference led to the development of this book, which captures the breadth of those discussions and offers multiple perspectives within Islamic theology. We’ve included not only traditional Sunni and Shiite viewpoints but also ventured into comparative theology, examining how these Islamic perspectives align or contrast with Christian thought. We wanted this volume to serve as a foundational text for both scholars and laypeople who are interested in how Islamic thought intersects with cutting-edge scientific discoveries.
This project has been incredibly exciting for me personally, as it opens up a dialogue that, until now, was relatively unexplored. Given the accelerating advancements in fields such as astrobiology and exoplanetary research, I believe the questions we are addressing in this volume are timely and essential. I’m hopeful that this book will contribute to a new wave of scholarship at the intersection of Islam, science, and theology, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that movement.
RS: Are there any implications to the fact that, broadly speaking, Shiite Islam leans toward the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life, whereas Sunni Islam is agnostic on the matter?
SAM: I don’t think we can generalize too quickly about the implications of Shiite Islam leaning toward the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life and Sunni Islam remaining more agnostic on the matter. This volume is really just the start of a much-needed conversation. We’ve brought together various perspectives and interpretations, but even within this book, we see different possibilities emerging. For example, as Moamer Khalayleh discusses in his chapter “Does the Qurʾān Affirm Extraterrestrial Life? A Hermeneutic Analysis of Sūrat al-Naḥl (Q. 16:8),” Fakhr al-Din al-Razi entertains the opinion that entities like us could exist in other parts of creation.
Additionally, Mohammad Mahdi Montasseri’s chapter, “Islamic Sacred Resources on Extraterrestrials and Their Possible Eschatological Implications,” suggests that certain hadiths can be interpreted as pointing toward the existence of extraterrestrial life. However, before making any definitive statements, it is important to see how other scholars and other Islamic traditions (for example, non-Twelver Shiite, Ibadi, and Ahmadi) engage with these interpretations. Islamic theology is far from settled on this issue, and for a more holistic analysis further studies and discussions are necessary. At this stage, we’re merely laying the foundation for a much larger conversation.
RS: There appears to be a consensus among the book’s contributors that the discovery of extraterrestrial life, even of the intelligent variety, would not call into question core Islamic precepts. Would this remain the case even if the extraterrestrials were more intelligent than humans and/or if they were hostile to us?
SAM: It’s true that this book generally appears comfortable with the idea of intelligent extraterrestrial life and suggests that its discovery wouldn’t necessarily conflict with core Islamic beliefs. However, as I mention in my chapter, “Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life and Islamic Beliefs: Investigating Six Potential Conflicts,” the question of theological anthropology will likely need to be reconsidered. Historically, Islamic scholars have debated what is the “best of creation” (afdal al-khalq). Some have argued that humans hold this distinction, whereas others have favored angels, and yet others have remained open to the possibility that a different category of beings might deserve the title. Naturally, the criteria we apply in this discussion are crucial. When we speak of being the “best,” it’s essential to clarify whether we mean spiritual capacity, intelligence, or morality, as each of these dimensions could lead to different conclusions about the hierarchy of beings.
Hamza Karamali touches on this in his chapter “Theological Information on the Existence of Intelligent Life Outside Our Solar System: Metaphysics, Scripture and Science.” He engages with the late classical Sunni thought, suggesting that even if intelligent extraterrestrial life exists, humans would still hold a superior position in terms of their spiritual capacity. Karamali argues that while the Quran does not explicitly confirm or deny the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence, it implies that humans are likely the most superior creation, at least from a spiritual and theological standpoint. Of course, this is but one opinion; others, such as that of Muzaffar Iqbal, are that the question is open.
Thus, while the discovery of more intelligent or even hostile extraterrestrials may raise questions, it wouldn’t necessarily upend the traditional Islamic understanding of humanity’s role in creation. However, this conversation requires ongoing exploration, especially as our understanding of intelligence and morality expands.
RS: Two chapters depart from the book’s focus on established theological views regarding the possibility of extraterrestrial life: Ayub and Ilham Ibrahim’s discussion of “folk” Islam and ufology (the study of unidentified flying objects) in Indonesia, and Emad El-Din Aysha’s exploration of Islamic themes in Egyptian science fiction. Tell us a bit about your decision to solicit these two contributions.
SAM: This volume is just a first attempt at exploring the broader conversation around extraterrestrial life within an Islamic framework, and we wanted to see how this discussion would play out in wider society. The inclusion of these two chapters—Ayub and Ilham Ibrahim’s discussion of “folk” Islam and ufology in Indonesia and Emad El-Din Aysha’s exploration of Islamic themes in Egyptian science fiction—offers us some valuable insight into how these ideas are being engaged with beyond formal theological discourse. Personally, I was shocked to discover that there is a whole science fiction culture in the Arab world that engages with extraterrestrial life. These chapters give a glimpse into the societal and cultural dimensions of the conversation, showing that this is not just a matter of academic debate but one that resonates with the broader public as well.
RS: The Quran, which concerns Earthly and heavenly matters, is generally reckoned to be addressed to humankind. To what extent, if any, would it be relevant for extraterrestrials capable of understanding its message?
SAM: The relevance of the Quran for extraterrestrial beings capable of understanding its message depends on how one theologically interprets the nature of sentient, non-human beings and the question of whether they could be held morally accountable. In Islamic theology, moral accountability is a significant criterion for receiving divine revelation. As a result, the key questions become: can there be non-human sentient beings who are capable of understanding and acting upon God’s guidance; and, if so, would the Quran be relevant for them?
As David Solomon Jalajel’s and Faisal Abdullah’s respective chapters indicate, Islamic theological tradition does not necessarily deny the existence of such beings. Jalajel, for instance, explores the possibility that non-human entities could be deemed to have moral personhood from the perspective of classical Sunni theology, meaning they could be held accountable in ways similar to humans. Likewise, Abdullah highlights premodern Muslim scholars who speculated on the existence of beings from other “Earths” and how the Prophet’s message might extend to them. These perspectives show that Islamic thought has the intellectual resources to acknowledge the existence of morally accountable beings who might also be recipients of revelation, whether through the Quran or some other form of divine guidance.
I am personally very open to this idea, as it aligns with the theological flexibility that already exists within Islamic tradition regarding the possibility of the existence of sentient beings beyond humans and jinn. However, not everyone will agree with this position. Some theologians might argue that the Quran is explicitly addressed to humanity, and therefore, its relevance to non-human intelligences is limited or nonexistent. Others might return to the discussion about the “best of creation” (afdal al-khalq) and use this concept to argue either that extraterrestrial intelligent life does not exist, or that if such life forms do exist, they would be inherently inferior to humans.
This ties back to how scholars understand the concept of being “the best.” If we define “the best” purely in terms of spiritual capacity or moral accountability, then humans could still maintain their unique status. However, if intelligence or other criteria come into play, the discussion becomes more complex. Some may insist that being the “best” implies a unique relationship with God that other beings, even if they are sentient and intelligent, cannot match. These varying interpretations highlight the diversity within Islamic thought and suggest that this conversation is far from settled.
