Relativity of Time
7. [al-Araf, Mecca 39]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
يَا
بَنِي
آدَمَ
إِمَّا
يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ
رُسُلٌ
مِّنكُمْ
يَقُصُّونَ
عَلَيْكُمْ
آيَاتِي...
7: 35. O ye children of Adam!
whenever there come to you Messengers from amongst you, rehearsing my signs unto you,
...فَمَنِ اتَّقَى وَأَصْلَحَ فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾
those who are righteous and mend (their lives), on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
إِنَّ
رَبَّكُمُ
اللّهُ
الَّذِي
خَلَقَ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضَ
فِي
سِتَّةِ
أَيَّامٍ
...
7: 54. Your Guardian-Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days,
C1031. A sublime verse, comparable to the Throne Verse 2:255.
The Creation in six Days is of course metaphorical. In 45:14, "the Days of Allah" refer not so much to time as to the growth in us of a spiritual sense, a sense of sin and a sense of Allah's Mercy.
In 22:47, we are told that a Day in the sight of Allah is like a thousand years of our reckoning, and in 70:4, the comparison is with 50,000 of our years.
In the history of our material earth, we may reckon six great epochs of evolution.
The significance of the figure six will be discussed in connection with 41:9:12, where the ,matter is referred to in more detail.
... ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ...
and is firmly established on the throne (of authority):
C1032. Here, we are told of the creation of the heavens and the earth in six days. But lest we should be obsessed with the Jewish idea that Allah rested on the seventh day, we are told that the Creation was but a prelude to Allah's work: for His authority is exercised constantly by the laws which He establishes and enforces in all parts of His Creation.
The beautiful imagery of night and day seeking out each other in rapid succession is still further enforced in the Arabic by the double accusative of the verb yugshi, showing the mutual interactions of the day and the night, each covering the other in turn. The heavenly bodies show an order which is evidence of His constant care and government.
Not only that, but it is only He Who creates, maintains, and governs, and no one else. (R).
...يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا...
He draweth the night as a veil O'er the day, each seeking the other in rapid succession:
...وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ...
He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, (all) governed by laws under His command.
...أَلاَ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٥٤﴾
Is it not His to create and to govern?
Blessed be Allah, the cherisher and sustainer of the worlds!
7: 35
Asad ............they can neither delay it by a single moment, nor can they hasten it.
(see note 26)
7: 54
Asad Verily, your Sustainer is God, who has created the heavens and earth in six aeons, and is established on the throne of His almightiness [note 43]. He covers the day with the night in swift pursuit, with the sun and the moon and the stars subservient to His command: oh, verily, His is all creation and all command. Hallowed is God, the Sustainer of all the worlds!
Pickthall Lo! your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then mounted He the Throne. He covereth the night with the day, which is in haste to follow it, and hath made the sun and the moon and the stars subservient by His command. His verily is all creation and commandment Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!
Transliteration Inna rabbakumul lazi khalaqas sama_wa_ti wal arda fi sittati ayya_min summastawa_ 'alal 'arsy(i), yugsyil lailan naha_ra yatlubuhu_ hasisa_(w), wasy syamsa wal qamara wan nuju_ma musakhkhara_tim bi amrih(i), ala_ lahul khalqu wal amr(u), taba_rakalla_hu rabbul 'a_lamin(a).
[[Asad’s note 43 - …..As regards the term “arsh” ….are unanimously of the opinion that its metaphorical use in the Quran is meant to express God’s absolute sway over all His creation. It is noteworthy that in all the seven instances where God is spoken of in the Quran as “established on the throne of His almightiness” (7:54, 10:3, 13:2, 20:5, 25:59, 32:4 and 57:4), this expression is connected with a declaration of His having created the universe.
–The word “yawm”, commonly translated as “day”-but rendered above as “eon”-is used in Arabic to denote any period, whether extremely long (“eon”) or extremely short (“moment”): its application to an earthly “day” of twenty four hours is only one of its many connotations. (Cf. in this respect note 26 above, where the meaning of “saah” – lit., “hour” – is explained.) ]]
[[ Ali’s notes - 1031 A sublime verse, comparable to the Throne Verse ii. 255. As for the Creation in six days, in xxii. 47, we are told that a Day in the sight of Allah is like a thousand years of our reckoning, and in lxx. 4, the comparison is with 50,000 of our years. In the history of our material earth, we may reckon six great epochs of evolution. (7.54)
1032 Here, we are told of the creation of the heavens and the earth in six days. But lest we should be obsessed with the Jewish idea that Allah rested on the seventh day, we are told that the Creation was but a prelude to Allah's work: for His authority is exercised constantly by the laws which He establishes and enforces in all parts of His Creation. The beautiful imagery of night and day seeking out each other in rapid succession is still further enforced in the Arabic by the double accusative of the verb yugshi, showing the mutual interactions of the day and the night, each covering the other in turn. The heavenly bodies show an order which is evidence of His constant care and government. Not only that, but it is only He Who creates, maintains, and governs, and no one else. (7.54)
(also see 10:3, 13:2, 20:5, 25:59, 32:4, and 57:4)
22: 47 –“in thy Sustainer’s sight a day is like a thousand years of your reckoning”:
(see Asad note 63)
70: 4..........in a day the length whereof is [like] fifty thousand years...............