The word “Ahqaf,” one of the Surah of the Qur’an, literally means “sand dunes.” In astronomy, one of the first characteristics that come to mind when the planet Mars is mentioned is the giant collections of sand, or giant “sand dunes” on its surface. These make Mars different to the other planets. 

An examination of the sequence of letters in verse 23 of Surat al-Ahqaf shows that the Arabic letters Mim, Alif, Ra and Sin appears side by side to make the word Mars. 

The way these letters appear in Surat al-Ahqaf, a word meaning “sand dunes,” one of the most striking features of the planet Mars, is highly noteworthy. In it addition, it is not just Mars that appears in this Surah, but also its satellite "Deimos." The letters that make up the name of "Deimos," which orbits Mars, appear side by side in verse 30 of Surat al-Ahqaf. These things are all examples of the infinite knowledge and wisdom our Lord, He who is unfettered by time, manifests in the Qur’an. 

* In Arabic, the letter "Waw" is read as a consonant when it appears inside a word.