Venus and Mars are the names of the closest and second-closest planets to the Earth. In the Qur’an, the letters that make up the present-day names of these planets are set out in such a way as to indicate the speed of their rotation. 

The letters that make up the name Venus (Waaw-Alif-Nuun-Alif-Shiin in Arabic) appear side by side in verse 72 of Surat al-Anfal. The next sequence of letters spelling out the word Venus appears in verse 3 of Surah Hud.  There are 243 verses between these two. It takes Venus exactly 243 days to revolve around its own axis. In other words, the revolution starts all over again after 243 days. The letters comprising the word Venus appear 243 verses after their first appearance in the Qur’an. 

The same sequencing applies to Mars. The letters that comprise the word Mars (Miim-Alif-Raa-Shiin in Arabic) first appear side by side in verse 44 of Surat al-Mu’minun. The next time the sequence appears is in verse 45. In other words, they appear just 1 verse later. It takes the planet Mars just 1 day to revolve around its own axis.

The letters comprising the word Venus appear side by side from right to left in verse 72 of Surat al-Anfal. 

The letters comprising the word Venus appear side by side from right to left in verse 3 of Surah Hud. 

The letters comprising the word Mars appear side by side from right to left in verse 44 of Surat al-Mu’minun.

The letters comprising the word Mars appear side by side from right to left in verse 45 of Surat al-Mu’minun.

The time it takes Mars and Venus to revolve is information belonging to modern astronomy. These periods were discovered by astronomers hundreds of years after the revelation of the Qur’an.  The names Venus and Mars used in modern astronomy appear as al-Merrikh and az-Zuhra in order in Arabic. Different societies had different names for these planets at the time of the revelation of the Qur’an. The way that the names Venus and Mars appear in such a secret way in the Qur’an is therefore miraculous. 

These extraordinary sequences in the Qur’an once again confirm that the Qur’an is the revelation of Almighty Allah. In Surat as-Sajda Almighty Allah states:

“The revelation of the Book, without any doubt of it, is from the Lord of the worlds. Or do they say, ‘He has invented it’? No indeed! It is the truth from your Lord to warn a people to whom, before you, no warner came, so that hopefully they will be guided.” (Sur as-Sajda, 2-3)