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Ayah
Word by Word
إِنَّ
Indeed
رَبَّكُمُ
your Lord
ٱللَّهُ
(is) Allah
ٱلَّذِي
the One Who
خَلَقَ
created
ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ
the heavens
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ
and the earth
فِي
in
سِتَّةِ
six
أَيَّامٖ
epochs
ثُمَّ
then
ٱسۡتَوَىٰ
He ascended
عَلَى
on
ٱلۡعَرۡشِۖ
the Throne
يُغۡشِي
He covers
ٱلَّيۡلَ
the night
ٱلنَّهَارَ
(with) the day
يَطۡلُبُهُۥ
seeking it
حَثِيثٗا
rapidly
وَٱلشَّمۡسَ
and the sun
وَٱلۡقَمَرَ
and the moon
وَٱلنُّجُومَ
and the stars
مُسَخَّرَٰتِ
subjected
بِأَمۡرِهِۦٓۗ
by His command
أَلَا
Unquestionably
لَهُ
for Him
ٱلۡخَلۡقُ
(is) the creation
وَٱلۡأَمۡرُۗ
and the command
تَبَارَكَ
blessed
ٱللَّهُ
(is) Allah
رَبُّ
Lord
ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
(of) the worlds
إِنَّ
Indeed
رَبَّكُمُ
your Lord
ٱللَّهُ
(is) Allah
ٱلَّذِي
the One Who
خَلَقَ
created
ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ
the heavens
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ
and the earth
فِي
in
سِتَّةِ
six
أَيَّامٖ
epochs
ثُمَّ
then
ٱسۡتَوَىٰ
He ascended
عَلَى
on
ٱلۡعَرۡشِۖ
the Throne
يُغۡشِي
He covers
ٱلَّيۡلَ
the night
ٱلنَّهَارَ
(with) the day
يَطۡلُبُهُۥ
seeking it
حَثِيثٗا
rapidly
وَٱلشَّمۡسَ
and the sun
وَٱلۡقَمَرَ
and the moon
وَٱلنُّجُومَ
and the stars
مُسَخَّرَٰتِ
subjected
بِأَمۡرِهِۦٓۗ
by His command
أَلَا
Unquestionably
لَهُ
for Him
ٱلۡخَلۡقُ
(is) the creation
وَٱلۡأَمۡرُۗ
and the command
تَبَارَكَ
blessed
ٱللَّهُ
(is) Allah
رَبُّ
Lord
ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
(of) the worlds
Translation
Indeed, your Lord is Allāh, who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne.1 He covers the night with the day, [another night] chasing it rapidly; and [He created] the sun, the moon, and the stars, subjected by His command. Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
Footnotes
1 - There are several linguistic meanings of the words "istawā ʿalā," among them: to settle upon, to assume ascendancy above, and to assert authority over. However, it is known that all the attributes of Allāh are eternal, i.e., they have always existed and were present before He created. Thus, it cannot be said that He "rose" above the Throne, as Allāh has always been ascendant. Because the Creator may not be compared to His creation, the Prophet's companions and early scholars refused speculation as to how His actions could be interpreted, considering any such attempt unlawful. Similarly, the true nature of the Throne is known only to Allāh, the Exalted.
Tafsir
Surely your Lord is God, Who created the skies and the earth in six days, of the days of this world, that is to say, in the equivalent thereof, since there was no sun then. Had He willed He could have created them in an instant; but the reason for His not having done so is that He wanted to teach His creatures to be circumspect; then presided upon the Throne, a presiding befitting of Him (al-'arsh, 'throne', in the [classical] language is the elevated seat on which a king sits). He cloaks (read yughshee or yughashshee) the night with the day, that is, He covers each one with the other: each following the other in swift pursuit - and the sun and the moon and the stars (if all of these are read in the accusative, then they constitute a supplement to al-samaawaat, 'the skies', and if in the nominative, then they constitute the subject of the sentence, the predicate of which follows) have been made subservient, [have been] subdued, by His command, by His power. Verily, His is, all, creation and the command, in its entirety. Blessed, Magnified, be God, the Lord, the Master, of the Worlds!
The Idolators have no Excuse
Allah says
وَلَقَدْ جِيْنَاهُم بِكِتَابٍ
Certainly, We have brought to them a Book (the Qur'an) which,
Allah states that He has left no excuse for the idolators, for He has sent to them the Book that the Messenger came with, and which is explained in detail,
كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ ءايَـتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ
(This is) a Book, the Ayat whereof are perfected (in every sphere of knowledge), and then explained in detail. (11:1)
Allah said next,
فَصَّلْنَاهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ
We have explained in detail with knowledge,
meaning, `We have perfect knowledge of what We explained in it.'
Allah said in another Ayah,
أَنزَلَهُ بِعِلْمِهِ
He has sent it down with His Knowledge, (4:166)
The meaning here is that after Allah mentioned the loss the idolators end up with in the Hereafter, He stated that He has indeed sent Prophets and revealed Books in this life, thus leaving no excuse for them.
Allah also said;
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً
And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning). (17:15)
Allah said,
هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُوْمِنُونَ
a guidance and a mercy to a people who believe.
Allah said here
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ تَأْوِيلَهُ
Await they just for the final fulfillment of the event,
in reference to what they were promised of torment, punishment, the Fire; or Paradise, according to Mujahid and several others.
يَوْمَ يَأْتِي تَأْوِيلُهُ
On the Day the event is finally fulfilled,
According to Ibn Abbas,
on the Day of Resurrection,
يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ
those who neglected it before will say,
those who ignored it in this life and neglected abiding by its implications will say,
قَدْ جَاءتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَاء فَيَشْفَعُواْ لَنَا
Verily, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth, now are there any intercessors for us that they might intercede on our behalf!
so that we are saved from what we ended up in.
أَوْ نُرَدُّ
Or could we be sent back,
to the first life,
فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ
So that we might do (good) deeds other than those (evil) deeds which we used to do.
This part of the Ayah is similar to Allah's statement,
وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ
بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ
If you could but see when they will be held over the (Hell) Fire! They will say:Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!
Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before. But if they were returned (to the world), they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars. (6:27-28)
Allah said here,
قَدْ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ
Verily, they have lost themselves,
meaning, they destroyed themselves by entering the Fire for eternity,
وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ
And that which they used to fabricate has gone away from them.
What they used to worship instead of Allah abandoned them and will not intercede on their behalf, aid them or save them from their fate
The Universe was created in Six Days
Allah says;
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالَارْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ
Indeed, your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days,
Allah states that He created the universe, the heavens and earth and all that is in, on and between them in six days, as He has stated in several Ayat in the Qur'an.
These six days are:Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Friday, the entire creation was assembled and on that day, Adam was created. There is a difference of opinion whether these days were the same as our standard days as suddenly comes to the mind, or each day constitutes one thousand years, as reported from Mujahid, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, and from Ibn Abbas according to Ad-Dahhak's narration from him. As for Saturday, no creation took place in it since it is the seventh day of (of the week). The word `As-Sabt' means stoppage, or break.
Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Hurayrah saying:
Allah's Messenger told me:
خَلَقَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ التُّرْبَةَ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ وَخَلَقَ فِيهَا الْجِبَالَ يَوْمَ الاَْحَدِ وَخَلَقَ الشَّجَرَ يَوْمَ الاْثْنَيْنِ وَخَلَقَ الْمَكْرُوهَ يَوْمَ الثُّلَثَاءِ وَخَلَقَ النُّورَ يَوْمَ الاَْرْبِعَاءِ وَبَثَّ فِيهَا الدَّوَابَّ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ وَخَلَقَ ادَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَمُ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ مِنْ يَوْم الْجُمُعَةِ فِي اخِرِ الْخَلْقِ فِي اخِرِ سَاعَةٍ مِنْ سَاعَاتِ الْجُمُعَةِ فِيمَا بَيْنَ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى اللَّيْل
Allah created the dust on Saturday, and He created the mountains on Sunday, and He created the trees on Monday, and He created the unpleasant things on Tuesday and He created the light on Wednesday and He spread the creatures through out it on Thursday and He created Adam after Asr on Friday. He was the last created during the last hour of Friday, between Asr and the night.
Meaning of Istawa
As for Allah's statement,
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ
and then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne.
the people had several conflicting opinions over its meaning. However, we follow the way that our righteous predecessors took in this regard, such as Malik, Al-Awza`i, Ath-Thawri, Al-Layth bin Sa`d, Ash-Shafi`i, Ahmad, Ishaq bin Rahwayh and the rest of the scholars of Islam, in past and present times.
Surely, we accept the apparent meaning of, Al-Istawa, without discussing its true essence, equating it (with the attributes of the creation), or altering or denying it (in any way or form). We also believe that the meaning that comes to those who equate Allah with the creation is to be rejected, for nothing is similar to Allah,
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. (42:11)
Indeed, we assert and affirm what the Imams said, such as Nu`aym bin Hammad Al-Khuza'i, the teacher of Imam Al-Bukhari, who said,
Whoever likens Allah with His creation, will have committed Kufr.
Whoever denies what Allah has described Himself with, will have committed Kufr.
Certainly, there is no resemblance (of Allah with the creation) in what Allah and His Messenger have described Him with.
Whoever attests to Allah's attributes that the plain Ayat and authentic Hadiths have mentioned, in the manner that suits Allah's majesty, all the while rejecting all shortcomings from Him, will have taken the path of guidance.
The Day and the Night are among the Signs of Allah
Allah said,
يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا
He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly,
meaning, the darkness goes away with the light, and the light goes away with the darkness. Each of them seeks the other rapidly, and does not come late, for when this vanishes, the other comes, and vice versa.
Allah also said;
وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ الَّيْلُ نَسْلَخُ مِنْهُ النَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُم مُّظْلِمُونَ
وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِى لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَـا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
وَالْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَـهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّى عَادَ كَالعُرجُونِ الْقَدِيمِ
لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِى لَهَأ أَن تدْرِكَ القَمَرَ وَلَا الَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِى فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
And a sign for them is the night. We withdraw therefrom the day, and behold, they are in darkness. And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit. (36:37-40)
Allah's statement,
وَلَا الَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ
(Nor does the night outstrip the day) (36:40) means,
the night follows the day in succession and does not come later or earlier than it should be.
This is why Allah said here,
يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ
seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His command.
meaning, all are under His command, will and dominion.
Allah alerted us afterwards,
أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالَامْرُ
Surely, His is the creation and commandment,
the dominion and the decision.
Allah said next,
تَبَارَكَ اللّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the all that exists!
which is similar to the Ayah,
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ فِى السَّمَأءِ بُرُوجاً
Blessed be He Who has placed in the heaven big stars. (25:61)
Abu Ad-Darda' said a supplication, that was also attributed to the Prophet,
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْمُلْكُ كُلُّـهُ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِلَيْكَ يُرْجَعُ الاَْمْرُ كُلُّهُ أَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّه
O Allah! Yours is all the kingdom, all the praise, and Yours is the ownership of all affairs. I ask You for all types of good and seek refuge with You from all types of evil.
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