إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
10:4; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5; 41:10-13; 50:39; 57:5.
13:4; 36:38.
Important Words:
عرش (Throne) is substantive from the verb عرش which means, he constructed or built a shed or a building, etc. عرش البیتmeans, he built or constructed the house. عرش بالمکان means, he put up, or lodged, in the house. The saying من العرش الی الفرشmeans, from the highest sphere to the lowness of the earth. عرش means, a shed or building constructed for shade; a house in an absolute sense; a dwelling or a place of abode; the wood upon which one stands when drawing water; the roof of a house or the like; the throne or the seat of a king; the means of support of a thing or an affair; might or power; regal power; sovereignty; dominion. The expression استوی علی العرش means, He (God) reigned as King; He settled Himself on the Throne; He was or became established on the Throne of Power and Majesty (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:30 & 6:142.
Commentary:
The word یوم (day) also means "time" absolutely (1:4); and it is in this sense that the word has been used in the present verse. It is difficult to say how long these six periods of time were in which, according to this verse, the heavens and the earth were created. They may have extended over hundreds of thousands of years. The word ایام (days) evidently is not used here in the sense of ordinary days of 24 hours, because such days are determined by the rising and setting of the sun and the sun itself, being a part of this universe, came into existence simultaneously with it.
The word ثم (then) shows that after completing the creation of the heavens and the earth in six "days" or six "periods", God settled Himself on the Throne on the seventh day. As the Arabic word سبع (seven) is generally used as a symbol of perfection, the expression would signify that on the seventh day when God became established on the Throne of His Power and Majesty, the universe became in perfect working order.
The "night and day" mentioned in the clause, He makes the night cover the day, have been mentioned here as symbolizing sin and virtue. In fact, the phenomenon of sin in a perfectly ordered universe is explainable only by the phenomenon of night. Just as that part of the earth which is hidden from the sun is covered by darkness; similarly, when a man turns away from God, he becomes involved in the darkness of sin; but when he turns his face towards God, the day dawns for him and he basks in the light of truth and righteousness.
The words, He makes the night cover the day which pursues it swiftly, are explained in 2:165 by the expression "the alternation of night and day." The clause may also imply that it is God’s سنة or practice that after a period of darkness He brings a period of light so that mankind may not suffer.
By using the word مسخرات (all made subservient) with respect to the sun, the moon and the stars, the verse reminds us that it was not in the power of man to make all these planets serve him and that it is God alone Who has placed them at his service. Therefore, if, in spite of these great favours, he would not listen to God’s voice, he would be marked as a transgressor and consequently merit His punishment.
The distinction between خلق (the creation) and امر (the command) is that while the former generally means, the measuring out or evolving of a thing out of pre-existing matter, the latter means, bringing into being without matter by uttering the simple command "Be". The clause, His is the creation and the command, may also mean that God has not only created the universe but also exercises authority and command over it.
For the words, He settled Himself on the Throne, see under 10:4 where the expressions "Divine Throne", and "God’s settling on it" have been fully dealt with.
13:4; 36:38.
10:4; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5; 41:10-13; 50:39; 57:5.
Ayyam is the plural of Yaum which denotes time absolutely (1:4); or it may signify an indefinite period, or a stage in the development of a thing. It is not possible to surmise and define the length of this period. It may be "a thousand years" (22:48), or "fifty thousand years" (70:5). But the word Yaum definitely does not refer here or in any other verse of the Qur’an as the period of time determined by the rotation of the earth on its axis. God has not disclosed to us the extent of all His days. If some of God’s days extend over a thousand years and others over fifty thousand years, there may be still others which extend over millions or billions of years. Science has disclosed the fact that it took the heavens and the earth millions of years to be evolved into their present shape. A vision of the eminent Muslim scholar, Muhyud-Din Ibn-e- ‘Arabi, leads one to a similar conclusion. Thus we cannot definitely determine the length of the "six days" during which the creation of the
See {54}.
‘Arsh (Throne) represents God’s transcendent attributes (Sifate- Tanzihiyyah), i.e. such attributes as are not found in any other being. The four attributes of God mentioned in Surah Ikhlas are His transcendent attributes. These attributes are eternal and unchangeable and are manifested through God’s attributes of similitude (Sifate-Tashbihiyyah), i.e. such attributes as are found more or less in other beings also. These latter attributes are said to be the bearers of the ‘Arsh. They are Rabbul-‘Alamin, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim and Maliki Yaumid-Din. That ‘Arsh represents the transcendent attributes of God is also clear from 23:117 which shows that the "Unity of God" and His ‘Arsh are intimately connected, for it is the transcendent attributes which constitute the real proof of Divine Unity, other attributes of God being shared by man in different degrees. The words, "Settled Himself on the Throne" signify that aft
The distinction between Khalq (creation) and Amr (command) is that while the former word generally means, the measuring out or evolving of a thing out of pre-existing matter, the latter means, bringing into being without matter by uttering the simple command word "be." The clause, His is the creation and the command, may also mean that God has not only created the universe but He also exercises authority and command over it. Amr also means, the making of laws.