41. Surah Fussilat (Clearly Spelled Out/Expounded)

Mecca Period 61 [54 ayats]


The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِن فَوْقِهَا وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا...

41: 10. He set on the (earth), Mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth,

C4471. Cf. 13:3 and 16:15, n. 2038.

High above it: the highest mountains are 29,000 feet above sea-level, and the lowest depths of the bottom of the ocean are 31,600 feet below sea-level, so that the vertical difference between the highest and lowest points on the solid crust of the earth is about 11-1/2 miles. The highland areas are the main sources of the water-supply in all the regions of the earth, and vegetable and animal life depends on water-supply.

...وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِي أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ ...

and measured therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days,

C4472. See n. 4470 above.

... سَوَاء لِّلسَّائِلِينَ ﴿١٠﴾

in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (sustenance).

C4473. Sailin may mean either

If the former meaning is adopted, the clause means that everything is apportioned to the needs and appetites of Allah's creatures.

If the latter, it means that the needs of enquirers are sufficiently met by what is stated here.

ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاء وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ...

41: 11. Moreover He Comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke:

C4474. For istawa see n. 1386 to 10:3. Cf. also 2:29.

C4475. From 79:30 it would appear as if the earth was spread out after the sky was made.

In the present passage the creation of the earth and the evolution of life on our globe are mentioned first; and the making of the sky into the seven firmaments is mentioned last. The two statements are not inconsistent.

It is stated here that when the sky was made into seven firmaments, it had existed previously as smoke, or vapour, or steam.

The idea I derive from a collation of the relevant Quranic passages is that Allah first created primeval matter, which was as yet without order, shape, or symmetry. This state is called Chaos as opposed to Cosmos in Greek Cosmogony.

The next stage would be the condensation of this primeval matter, into gases, liquids, or solids: on this subject no precise information is given to us: it belongs to the realm of Physics.

About the earth we are told of four stages or Days, and about the heavens, of two stages or Days. For Days see n. 4477 below.

If these stages proceeded or proceed together in time, it is obvious that each stage as we know it on earth is half as long as each stage in the heavens. But these are questions of Physics, Astronomy, or Geology, nor questions of Religion.

... فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ اِئْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا...

He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly."

...قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ ﴿١١﴾

They said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience."

C4476. I take this to mean that Allah's design in creation was not to keep heaven and earth separate, but together, as we indeed are, being part of the solar system, and travellers through space, crossing the path of several comets. And all matter created by Allah willingly obeys the laws laid down for it.

فَقَضَاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَوْحَى فِي كُلِّ سَمَاء أَمْرَهَا...

41: 12. So He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days and He assigned to each heaven its duty and command.

C4477. For "Days", which may include thousands of years, see 7:54, and n. 1031.

They refer to stages in the evolution of physical nature. In the Biblical cosmogony, (Gen. 1:1-7 and 2:1-7), which reflects old Babylonian cosmogony, the scheme is apparently to be taken literally as to days and is as follows.

- The first day Allah created light;

- the second, the firmament;

- the third, the earth and vegetation;

- the fourth, the stars and plants;

- the fifth, fish and fowl from the sea; and

- the sixth, cattle, creeping things, beasts on land, and man;

- on the seventh day He ended His work and rested.

Our scheme is wholly different.

- Allah did not rest, and never rests. "His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them";

- Allah's work has not ended; His activity still goes on: 32:5 5; 7:54;

- man in our scheme does not come in with land animals; his advent is much later;

- our stages are not sharply divided from each other, as in the above scheme, where the stars and planets having been created on the fourth day, it is not intelligible how the first three days were counted, nor how vegetation grew on the third day.

Our stages for earth and heaven are not in sequence of time for the heavens and the earth. Our six stages are broadly speaking,

- the throwing off of our planet from cosmic matter;

- its cooling and condensing;

- 3 and 4 the growth of vegetable and animal life;

- 5 and 6 the parallel growth of the starry realm and our solar system.

...وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَاء الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ وَحِفْظًا...

And We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it) with guard.

C4478. Cf. 15:17, and n. 1951; also 37:6-9.

The transition from the third person ("He completed," etc.) to the first person ("We adorned," etc.) may be noted.

The act of creation is an impersonal act: the act of adornment and guarding is a personal favour to Allah's creatures.

...ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ ﴿١٢﴾

Such is the Decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, Full of knowledge.


Asad’s version


41:10 For He [it is who, after creating the earth,] placed firm mountains on it, [towering] above its surface, and bestowed [so many] blessings on it, and equitably apportioned' its means of subsistence to all who would seek it: [and all this He created] in four aeons. 10


41:11 And" He [it is who] applied His design to the skies, which were [yet but] smoke; 12 and He [it is who] said to them and to the earth, "Come [into being], both of you, willingly or unwillingly!" - to which both responded, "We do come in obedience." 13


41:12 And He [it is who] decreed that they become seven heavens" in two aeons, and imparted unto each heaven its function. And We adorned the skies nearest to the earth with lights, and made them secure: 15 such is the ordaining of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.