11. [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 --
...وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاء ...
and His Throne was over the Waters --
... لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً...
that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct.
...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!"
Other Versions:
11: 7
Asad And He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons; and [ever 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.]]