Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And the earth, after that, He spread it out)
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Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And the earth, after that, He spread it out)
Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Nazi'at: 30-33].
(And the earth, after that) means: after the creation of the heavens and the earth. (He spread it out) and He explained this spreading by saying: [Al-Nazi'at: 31-32]. The earth was created before the heavens, as Allah the Exalted said: [Fussilat: 9-12].
So the earth was created before the heavens, but its spreading, the emergence of water from it, and the provision of pasture occurred after the creation of the heavens: [Al-Nazi'at: 31-32] meaning: He made it firmly established in the earth, holding the earth in place so that it would not shake with the creatures. [Al-Nazi'at: 33] meaning: Allah the Exalted made that a provision for us, that we may enjoy it in what we eat and drink, and for our livestock,Meaning: our herds of camels, cattle, sheep, and others.
Allah the Exalted said:
(30) And after that He spread the earth. (31) He extracted from it its water and its pasture, (32) And the mountains He set firmly (33) As provision for you and your grazing livestock.
وَالأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا * أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا * وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا * مَتَاعاً لَكُمْ وَلأَنْعَامِكُمْ(And the earth, after that) means: after the creation of the heavens and the earth. (He spread it out) and He explained this spreading by saying:
He extracted from it its water and its pasture,
أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا * وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا(9) Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds." (10) And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures'] sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information] of those who ask. (11) Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly." (12) And He completed them as seven heavens within two days
قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ أَندَاداً ذَلِكَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ * وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِي أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاءً لِلسَّائِلِينَ * ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلأَرْضِ اِئْتِيَا طَوْعاً أَوْ كَرْهاً قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ * فَقَضَاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ فِي يَوْمَيْنِSo the earth was created before the heavens, but its spreading, the emergence of water from it, and the provision of pasture occurred after the creation of the heavens: