32. As-Sajdah (Prostration), 30 verses

Mecca Period 75

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ...

32: 4. It is Allah Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all between them, in six Days,

C3632. Six Days: See n. 1031 to 7:54.

The "Day" does not mean a day as we reckon it. viz., one apparent course of the sun round the earth, for it refers to conditions which began before the earth and the sun were created.

In verse 5 below, a Day is compared to a thousand years of our reckoning, and in 70:4 to 50,000 years.

These figures "as we reckon" have no relation to "timeless Time", and must be taken to mean very long Periods, or Ages, or Eons.

See further 41:9-12, and notes. 4470-4474, 4475-4478.

... ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ...

and is firmly established on the Throne (of authority):

C3633. Cf. n. 1386 to 10:3.

Allah created the World as we see it in six great Stages. But after the initial creation, He is still in authority and directs and controls all affairs. He has not delegated His powers to others, and Himself retired.

Also see 7:54.

... مَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ...

ye have none, besides Him, to protect or intercede (for you):

... أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤﴾

will ye not then receive admonition?

Asad’s Version:

32:4

IT IS GOD who has created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six aeons, and is established on the throne of His almightiness. 3 You have none to protect you from God, and none to intercede for you [on Judgment Day]: will you not, then, bethink yourselves?

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50 Qaf [45 verses]

Mecca Period 34

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ...

50: 38.  We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in Six Days,

C4975. Allah's creation of the heavens and the earth in long stages or periods of time, as we count time, shows how things evolve in their own good time. We must therefore be patient if Good does not seem to come to its own according to our ideas. Our will should merge itself in Allah's Will, and we should praise Him, realising that He is All- Good, and that all adjustments will be in the Hereafter.

C4976. Cf. 7:54, n. 1031; and 41:12. n. 4477.

... وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِن لُّغُوبٍ ﴿٣٨﴾

nor did any sense of weariness touch Us.

C4977. Cf. 35:35.

Asad’s Version:

(50:38) and [who knows that] We have indeed created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six aeons, and [that] no weariness could ever touch Us. 29

Yuksel’s Version:

50:38 We have created the heavens, the earth and what is between them in six days, and no fatigue touched Us.*

[[Asad’s notes - 29 The whole of this passage (verses 36-38) stresses God's omnipotence, which can be perceived by "anyone whose heart is wide-awake". The above reference to God's having created the universe in six aeons' is the oldest in the chronology of Qur'anic revelation. In this connection it is to be noted that in ancient Arabic usage the term yawm does not always denote the twenty-four hours of the earthly "day", but is also applied to any period of time, however long or short. In the cosmic sense in which it is used here and elsewhere in the Qur'an, the plural ayyam is best rendered as "aeons". The mention of the impossibility of God's ever being "wearied" by the process of creation connects the present passage with verse 15 of this surah and, thus, alludes to God's power to resurrect the dead. ]]