The Wisdom Behind the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth in Six Days
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Question:
The Qur'an says: "Indeed, Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days." Can you clarify this for us in light of our knowledge that it is sufficient for Allah to say [Yasin:82]?
Answer:
Allah the Exalted created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, as He informed us, and He is the Truthful, Exalted and Majestic is He, that He created them in six days. He is capable of creating them in the blink of an eye, as He said : [Yasin:82].
However, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that He created them in six days so that His servants would know not to be hasty, and so that they would reflect upon matters and use their intellect. Their Lord, who knows everything and is capable of everything, did not hasten in creating the heavens or in creating the earth; rather, He made it in six days. He did not hasten in creating Adam, nor in creating the other things; rather, He organized and managed them with the best organization and the best management, so that His servants would know to be deliberate in matters and not hasty, and that they would conduct their affairs in an organized, clear, and complete manner, with insight and knowledge, without haste or neglecting what is required in them. And He, the Exalted, despite being capable of everything and knowing everything, did not hasten; rather, He created them in six days, while He is capable of creating them in a blink or a minute [Yasin:82] . So He made them organized and managed in a few days, so that His servants would know how to work, how to organize their affairs, how to be deliberate in matters, and not to hasten until their interests are in order and their affairs are straight on a clear path and a path they are reassured by, in which are their interests, and in which is what benefits them and repels harm from them.
And Allah the Exalted has pointed to this meaning in verses. He said : [Hud:7], informing that He created them this way to test us and to examine us, who among us is best in deed, most skilled in deed, and most complete in deed. The haste that does not reflect upon matters may lead to defect in the work. So Allah created them in six days to test the servants by the perfection of their deeds, the excellence of their deeds, and not being hasty in them, so that their affairs and interests do not become disordered. [Hud:7]. He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Kahf:7]. And He made what is on the earth of mountains, trees, plants, animals, minerals, and others, to test the servants (to examine them), who among them is best in deed in extracting what is in this earth and benefiting from it and profiting from it. And He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Mulk:2].
So in these verses and what has come in their meaning, there is an indication that He (Glorified and Exalted is He) created these things with this organization and this specific duration to test His servants and examine them, who among them is best in deed. He did not say "who did the most work"; He said "best." So the criterion is perfection, completion, and excellence, not quantity.
The Qur'an says: "Indeed, Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days." Can you clarify this for us in light of our knowledge that it is sufficient for Allah to say
Be, and it is
كُنْ فَيَكُونُAnswer:
Allah the Exalted created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, as He informed us, and He is the Truthful, Exalted and Majestic is He, that He created them in six days. He is capable of creating them in the blink of an eye, as He said :
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.
إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شيئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُHowever, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that He created them in six days so that His servants would know not to be hasty, and so that they would reflect upon matters and use their intellect. Their Lord, who knows everything and is capable of everything, did not hasten in creating the heavens or in creating the earth; rather, He made it in six days. He did not hasten in creating Adam, nor in creating the other things; rather, He organized and managed them with the best organization and the best management, so that His servants would know to be deliberate in matters and not hasty, and that they would conduct their affairs in an organized, clear, and complete manner, with insight and knowledge, without haste or neglecting what is required in them. And He, the Exalted, despite being capable of everything and knowing everything, did not hasten; rather, He created them in six days, while He is capable of creating them in a blink or a minute
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.
إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شيئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُAnd Allah the Exalted has pointed to this meaning in verses. He said :
And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًاAnd it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًاIndeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًاAnd it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed. But if you say, "Indeed, you are resurrected after death," those who disbelieve will surely say, "This is not but obvious magic."
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًاSo in these verses and what has come in their meaning, there is an indication that He (Glorified and Exalted is He) created these things with this organization and this specific duration to test His servants and examine them, who among them is best in deed. He did not say "who did the most work"; He said "best." So the criterion is perfection, completion, and excellence, not quantity.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.