11. Surah [Hud, Mecca 52]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَهُوَ
الَّذِي خَلَق
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضَ
فِي سِتَّةِ
أَيَّامٍ...
11: 7. He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days --
C1501. See n. 1031 to 7:54.
...وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاء ...
and His Throne was over the Waters --
C1502. It is scientifically correct to say that all life was evolved out of the waters, and this statement also occurs in the Quran, 21:30.
Some such meaning, I think, also attaches to the Gen. 1:2.
The past tense "was" refers to the time before life developed in solid forms, on land and in air. (R).
... لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً...
that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct.
C1503. The Creation we see around us is not idle sport or play (in Hindi, Lila) or whim on the part of Allah. It is the medium through which our spiritual life is to develop, with such free-will as we have.
This life is our testing time.
...وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِن بَعْدِ الْمَوْتِ...
But if thou wert to say to them, "Ye shall indeed be raised up after death,"
...لَيَقُولَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٧﴾
the Unbelievers would be sure to say, "This is nothing but obvious sorcery!"
C1504. The Unbelievers, who do not believe in a Future life, think all talk of it is like a sorcerer's talk, empty of reality. But in this they show their ignorance, and they are begging the question.
11: 7
Asad And He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons; and [every since He has willed to create life,] the throne of His almightiness has rested upon water [note 10].
[God reminds you of your dependence on Him] in order to test you [and thus to make manifest] which of you is best in conduct. For thus it is; if [note 11] you say [unto men], “Behold, you shall be raised again after death!” – they who are bent on denying the truth are sure to answer, “This is clearly nothing but an enchanting delusion!” [note12]
Pickthall And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and His Throne was upon the water that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct. Yet if thou (O Muhammad) sayest: Lo! ye will be raised again after death! those who disbelieve will surely say: This is naught but mere magic.
Yuksel He is the One who created the heavens and earth in six days, and His dominion was upon the water, and to test who from amongst you works the best. When you say, "You will be resurrected after death." those who rejected will say, "This is but clear magic!"*
Transliteration Wa huwal lazi khalaqas sama_wa_ti wal arda fi sittati ayya_miw wa ka_na 'arsyuhu_ 'alal ma_'i liyabluwakum ayyukum ahsanu 'amala_(n), wa la'in qulta innakum mabu'u_su_na mim ba'dil mauti layaqu_lannal lazina kafaru_ in ha_za_ illa_ sihrum mubin(un).
[[Asad’s note 10 – As regards my rendering of ‘ayyam’ (lit., “days”) as “aeons” and “arch as the “throne of [God’s] almightiness, see surah 7, note 43. The symbolic reference to “the throne of His almightiness resting upon water” would seem to point to the God-willed evolution of all life out of water – a fact clearly brought out by the Quran (see 21:30 and the corresponding note 39) and in modern times confirmed by biological research. …..My interpolation….of the phrase “ever since He has willed to create life” is in accordance with the views advanced by Rashid Rida in his lengthy commentary on this verse (Manar Xll, 16 ff).
note 11- The expression ‘la’in’ (lit., “indeed, if…”) appearing here as well as in each of the next three verses is meant to stress the typical – i.e.e, recurrent – character of the situation to which it refers. …..
Note 12 – The term ‘sihr’, which is often used in the sense of “sorcery” or “magic”, denotes, primarily, “the turning of something from its proper [i.e., natural] condition of being into another condition”…….]]
[[ Ali’s notes -
1501 See n. 1031 to vii. 54. (11.7)
1502 It is scientifically correct to say that all life was evolved out of the waters, and this statement also occurs in the Qur-an, xxi. 30. Some such meaning, I think, also attaches to the Gen. i. 2. The past tense "was" refers to the time before life developed in solid forms, on land and in air. (11.7)
1503 The Creation we see around us is not idle sport or play (in Hindi, Lila) or whim on the part of Allah. It is the medium through which our spiritual life is to develop, with such free-will as we have. This life is our testing time. (11.7)
1504 The Unbelievers, who do not believe in a Future life, think all talk of it is like a sorcerer's talk, empty of reality. But in this they show their ignorance, and they are begging the question. (11.7) ]]
* [[ Yuksel’s note - 011:007 The expression "six days" provide comparison. For instance, we learn that though the creation of galaxies took two days, the creation of earth to be habitable for life took four days
(41:10-12). In other words, the creation of earth started 13.7 billion x 4/6 years ago. As for time, the Quran informs us that it is relative (32:5 and 70:4). The earth was initially covered with water; lands emerged later.]]
===================================
41. Sura Fussilat
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
those who seek, or
those who ask or enquire.
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.
Yuksel’s Version:
41:10 He placed in it stabilizers from above it, and He blessed it and established its provisions in four equal days, to satisfy those who ask.
41:11 Then He settled to the heaven, while it was still gas, and He said to it, and to the earth: "Come willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We come willingly."*
41:12 Thus, He then made them into seven heavens in two days, and He inspired to every universe its affair. We adorned the lowest universe with lamps, and for protection. Such is the design of the Noble, the Knowledgeable.
=====================================