Juz 24: Az-Zumar 32 to Fuṣṣilat 46
Section 15 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
15. Creation of the Heavens and Earth | Verses: Fussilat 41:9-12
Allah's creation of the heavens and earth serves as a powerful sign of His majesty and perfect design. In Surah Fussilat, Allah provides a detailed account of the sequential creation process, giving us insights into the divine methodology and precision with which our universe came into existence.
Allah begins by describing the creation of the earth, establishing it as the foundation before the heavens:
قُلْ أَإِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ أَندَادًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“Say, 'Do you really disbelieve in the One who has created the earth in two days, and ascribe to Him partners? That is the Lord of the worlds.'”
The earth was created in two days – a timeframe Allah chose to demonstrate the deliberate and methodical nature of His creation. This teaches us that even Allah, with His unlimited power, chose to create systematically and in stages rather than instantaneously, showing us the value of taking appropriate time for important tasks.
After establishing the earth's basic structure, Allah placed mountains on it to stabilize it and distributed provisions throughout:
وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِن فَوْقِهَا وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِي أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاءً لِّلسَّائِلِينَ
“He placed firm mountains on it (the earth) from above it, and put blessings in it, and proportioned its foods therein, in four days, equal for those who ask.”
The mountains were set as rawasiya (stabilizers) that prevent the earth from shaking with its inhabitants. Allah then blessed the earth, making it suitable for life and growth, and distributed sustenance and provisions throughout it in precise measure. This preparatory work took four days in total, highlighting Allah's meticulous attention to creating an environment that would sustain human life with all necessary resources.
After preparing the earth, Allah turned His attention to the heavens:
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ائْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ
“Then He turned to the sky, while it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth, 'Come (to My obedience), both of you, willingly or unwillingly.' Both said, 'We come willingly.'”
Initially, the heavens were in a state of dukhan (smoke) – a gaseous, nebulous state before taking solid form. In a magnificent display of divine authority, Allah commanded both the heavens and the earth to come to His obedience. The response from these inanimate creations is profound – they both declared their willing submission to their Creator. This stands in stark contrast to humans who, despite being given intellect and free will, often refuse to submit to Allah's commands.
Allah then completed the creation of the heavens:
فَقَضَاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَوْحَىٰ فِي كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ أَمْرَهَا ۚ وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ وَحِفْظًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
“So He accomplished them as seven skies in two days, and settled in each sky its affair. And We have decorated the closest sky with lamps, and protected it properly. All this is the determination of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.”
Allah fashioned the smoke into seven distinct heavens in two days, assigning to each its specific function and characteristics. The lowest heaven – the one visible to us – was adorned with masabih (lamps), the stars and celestial bodies that illuminate our night sky. These celestial bodies also serve as a protective barrier, guarding against evil forces that might attempt to eavesdrop on the higher realms.
This entire magnificent process of creation is described as the work of Al-Aziz (the Mighty) and Al-Alim (the All-Knowing), emphasizing that such precision and perfection can only come from one with ultimate power and complete knowledge.