Modern scientific discoveries have come and refuted the sayings and beliefs of the people of the exoteric and have proven the correctness of what we hold. We have preceded science and scientists in embracing this cosmic truth; we believe that there were many Adams before this Adam of ours, and that there are earths equal to this world of ours, and others besides this earth of ours.

[128] It has been reported from our Master al-Sadiq (exalted be his might): "He counted Adam after Adam, until he counted twenty-one Adams."

It seems as though Abu al-Ala' al-Ma'arri stood upon this true statement, and so he proclaimed, saying:

It is possible that this Adam

Had Adams before him, one after another.

[129] And it was narrated from our Master al-Sadiq (exalted be his might) that he said to some of his followers (shi'atihi wa mawalihi): "Indeed, Allah has thirty-nine earths in which there is neither a sun nor a moon."

[130] And from him (exalted be his might): "Behind this dome of yours are twelve thousand domes; if your dome were taken and placed in the middle of one of them,