Tafsir of Fussilat 41:9

Tafsir of Surah Fussilat (41): Verses 9-17

Verse 9: Say, "Do you truly disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals?"

Structure and Context: After commanding the Prophet (PBUH) to state that he is only a human being to whom revelation is sent, and to call people to uprightness and seeking forgiveness (as in the preceding verses), Allah follows this by presenting evidence that establishing partners (in divinity or worship) with Him is utterly baseless. This is done by highlighting His perfect power and wisdom in creating the heavens and the earth in a short span. How could such a Being be associated with lowly idols in divinity and worship?

Issues Discussed:

1. Recitation Variants:
   • Ibn Kathir recites أَئِنَّكُمْ (A-innakum) with a hamza followed by a light, un-lengthened yā’.
   • Nafi' (through Qalun) and Abu Amr recite it similarly but with lengthening.
   • The rest recite it with two hamzas, both un-lengthened.

2. Meaning of the Interrogation (أَئِنَّكُمْ):
   • This is an interrogative used for denial/reproach.
   • The verse mentions two reprehensible acts:
     • Disbelief in Allah, specifically denying His power to resurrect the dead (لتكفرون بالذى خلق الارض فى يومين).
     • Affirming partners and equals (أنداد) for Him.
   • The first disbelief must be distinct from affirming partners, as they are conjoined (by waw or implied conjunction).
   • Possible interpretations of their disbelief:
     • Denying Allah’s power to resurrect the dead.
     • Disputing the validity of religious obligations (تكليف) or the sending of Prophets, which undermines the attributes of divinity.
     • Attributing offspring to Allah, which also impugns His divine attributes.
   • Thus, they disbelieved by uttering these things, and they established partners by claiming the divinity of those idols.

3. The Argument from Creation:
   • Allah uses His creation of the earth in two days, completing its affairs in two more, and the heavens in two more (totaling six days, as mentioned elsewhere), as proof against their claims.
   • How can one disbelieve in the Creator of such immense things, or deny His power over resurrection, obligation, or prophethood? How can lowly idols be made equals?

4. Addressing a Potential Objection (The Proof Must Be Accepted):
   • Objection: If one uses a premise to prove a point, that premise must be accepted by the opponent. Proving the earth was created in two days relies on revelation/hearing (السمع), not pure reason (العقل المحض). Since the disbelievers disputed revelation and prophethood, this premise cannot be established against them, invalidating the argument.
   • Response: The creation of the heavens and earth by an agent is provable through observation (طريق العمل). Once this is established, it proves the existence of a mighty, capable God. Then, the disbelievers are challenged: How can you equate this powerful God with an inert idol that benefits or harms no one?
   • Further Clarification: The specific detail of creation in "two days" still has relevance because the beginning of the Torah mentions this, making it widely known among the People of the Book. The Meccan disbelievers respected the People of the Book and likely heard these accounts, accepting them as true. Therefore, it is appropriate to ask them: How can the God described with such power in a short time be reasonably associated with carved wood and hewn stone as an equal in worship?

Verse 10: That is Allah, your Lord, the Lord of the worlds.

• This means: That Being whose attribute and power you have just learned—the Creator of the earth in two days—is the true Lord of all creation. Why then do you establish partners of wood and stone for Him?

Subsequent Acts of Creation (The Three Wonders): After mentioning the creation of the earth in two days, Allah mentions three types of wondrous craftsmanship that followed:

1. Fixing Mountains: وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِن فَوْقِهَا (And He placed therein firm mountains above it).
   • Ruwāsi means firm mountains.
   • Significance of "above it" (مِن فَوْقِهَا): If Allah had said He placed them under it (like pillars), it might suggest those lower supports held up the heavy earth. By stating He placed these heavy mountains on top of the earth, it shows that both the earth and the mountains are heavy burdens, both requiring a Holder and Preserver—which is none other than Allah.

2. Blessing the Earth: وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا (And He blessed it).
   • Blessing (بركة) means an abundance of good. The good derived from the earth surpasses description.
   • Ibn Abbas explained this includes the creation of rivers, mountains, trees, fruits, animals, and all necessary provisions.

3. Apportioning Sustenance: وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا (And He determined therein its sustenance).
   • Interpretations:
     • It means He determined the sustenance and livelihoods for its inhabitants. Muhammad ibn Ka'b said He determined the sustenance of bodies before creating the bodies.
     • Mujahid said it refers to determining the sustenance of the earth itself through rain. Thus, every region receives its allotted share of rain.
     • It refers to sustenance originating from that specific earth. Grammarians note that the slightest connection suffices for attribution. Since each region is made a source for specific required items, people need to trade with other regions, encouraging commerce and wealth acquisition. Some consider agriculture the most blessed profession because sustenance is placed in the earth, making seeking it from the earth necessary.

Verse 11: Then He directed Himself to the heaven, while it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth, "Come willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We come willingly."

The Timeframe: فِي أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاءً لِّلسَّائِلِينَ (in four days, equal for inquirers).

Questions Regarding the Timeframe:

1. The Contradiction: The earth took two days, these three affairs took four days, and the heavens took two days—totaling eight days. Yet, other verses state creation took six days.
   • Answer: The four days mentioned here include the initial two days of earth creation. It is like saying, "I traveled from Basra to Baghdad in ten days, and to Kufa in fifteen days," meaning the Kufa journey included the Basra segment.

2. Why not state clearly "in two other days"? Why use the ambiguous phrase "in four days"?
   • Answer: If Allah had said "in two other days," it might imply that those two days were not fully occupied by the work. By stating "in four days, equal for inquirers," it indicates that these four days were completely consumed by these actions, with no time left over.

3. Recitations of سَوَاءً (Sawā’an):
   • The Kashshāf states it is read with three vowel markings:
     • Jar (genitive) as an adjective describing the days.
     • Nasb (accusative) as a maf'ūl muṭlaq (absolute object), meaning "equally."
     • Raf' (nominative) as a predicate, meaning "they are equal."

4. Meaning of "Equal" (سَوَاءً):
   • It means these four days were equal in measure, unlike days that vary in length depending on latitude (e.g., near the equator vs. the poles).

5. Connection of لِّلسَّائِلِينَ (for the inquirers):
   • View 1 (Al-Zajjaj): It means "in the remainder of four days for those who ask for sustenance."
   • View 2: It relates to an implied phrase: "This detailed explanation is for those who asked how the earth and what is in it were created."

Creation of the Heavens: ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ (Then He directed Himself to the heaven, while it was smoke).

1. Meaning of اسْتَوَى إِلَى (Directed Himself to): It means turning toward something with complete focus, without distraction, akin to straightening up (استقام). It signifies the wisdom-driven call to create the heaven after the earth.

2. The Origin of Smoke (Narrative): Some narrations suggest Allah’s Throne was on water. He heated the water, causing foam (from which the earth was made) and smoke (from which the heavens were made).
   • Scholarly Note: This specific narrative is not found in the Quran. Furthermore, the Jewish scriptures claim the heaven was made from dark parts. Darkness is the absence of light, not an existing quality, as proven by observation (if darkness were a quality, observers would perceive it differently). Thus, the components intended for the heavens were initially dark, making the term "smoke" (دخان) appropriate, meaning scattered, non-contiguous, lightless particles.

3. The Chronological Problem (Earth vs. Heaven):
   • This verse implies the heaven was created after the earth.
   • However, وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا (And after that He spread out the earth) implies the earth was spread after the heaven. This suggests a contradiction.
   • The Common Answer: Allah created the earth (in two days), then created the heaven, and then spread out the earth (دَحَاهَا).
   • Critique of the Common Answer (Razi's Doubts):
     • The actions mentioned for the earth (placing mountains, blessing it, providing sustenance) require the earth to be already spread out (مدحوة).
     • Geometrical evidence suggests the earth is a sphere; if it was always a sphere, it was always "spread out." If it became a sphere later, it must have been "spread out" before that state was removed, which is false.
     • A massive body like the earth must be "spread out" from its initial existence.
     • If the earth's substance was created in two days, its features in two more, and the heavens in two more (totaling six days), then the "spreading out" (دحو) must occur after the six days, contradicting the six-day total.
     • The command ائْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا (Come willingly or by compulsion) implies bringing them into existence. If the heaven preceded the earth, commanding both to "come" would mean commanding the already existing heaven to come into existence, which is impossible.

• Alternative View (Al-Wahidi quoting Muqatil): The heavens were created first. The phrase ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ means "Then He had already directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke." The word ثُمَّ (then) is interpreted as implying a past state (كان قد استوى). Razi finds this weak because ثُمَّ implies sequence (later), while كان implies precedence (had been), creating a contradiction.

• Razi's Preferred Resolution (Reinterpreting "Creation"): The word خَلَقَ (created) here might mean decreed/ordained (تقدير), which is Allah's judgment that something will exist. Allah decreed the earth's existence in two days, and this decree preceded the decree for the heaven's existence. This does not necessitate that the actual physical creation of the earth preceded the heaven.

The Command to Come: فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ائْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ (Then He said to it and to the earth, "Come willingly or by compulsion." They both said, "We come willingly.")

1. Interpretation 1: Literal Command to Existing Entities (Requires Life/Intellect):
   • This implies Allah commanded the heaven and earth to come into existence, and they obeyed. This is plausible because Allah has commanded mountains to respond to David, made the mountain manifest His glory, and will make limbs testify on the Day of Judgment. This suggests the heaven and earth possess life, intellect, and understanding, especially given the trust (الأمانة) offered to them (Q 33:72).
   • Objection: If the command was to "come into existence" (الإتيان إلى الوجود), they must have been non-existent when addressed. If non-existent, they could not understand the command or respond.
   • Counter-Argument (Ibn Abbas via Mujahid): The command was to manifest what was already deposited within them (e.g., the heaven to bring forth its sun/moon, the earth to bring forth its rivers/fruits).
   • Rebuttal: The word فَقَضَاهُنَّ (He decreed them/finished them) immediately follows, implying the completion of the heavens after the command ائْتِيَا. This suggests the command preceded their final formation.

2. Interpretation 2: Metaphorical Command (The Preferred View):
   • The command does not mean addressing conscious entities, but rather that Allah willed their creation, and they came into being exactly as He willed, like an obedient servant responding to a powerful master.
   • Justification for Deviation from Literal Meaning: This deviation is necessary because the command ائْتِيَا must have occurred before their existence, making literal address impossible.

The Nuances of Obedience (طَوْعًا vs. كَرْهًا):

• The command was addressed to both, but the response was only أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ (We come willingly).
• Why the distinction?
  • Heaven (Willingness): The heaven is in perpetual, uniform motion, resembling a perfectly obedient creature. Its existence is pure obedience.
  • Earth (Compulsion): The earth has varying states (rest, violent motion), and its inhabitants are subject to trials.
  • Heaven (Superiority): The heaven is associated with light, perfect circular forms, and the high atmosphere, while the earth is associated with darkness, density, and change. Therefore, the heaven is described by willingness (طوع), and the earth by compulsion (كره).

Meaning of ائْتِيَا (Come):

• To come into existence (كن فيكون).
• To come into the form and description required: the earth as a settled foundation, the heaven as a protective canopy.

Grammar of طَائِعِينَ (Willingly):

• It is used in the masculine plural form, even though Heaven and Earth are feminine nouns, because they were addressed as conscious beings capable of intellect and response (عاقل).

Verse 12: Then He decreed them as seven heavens in two days, and inspired in every heaven its command.

• فَقَضَاهُنَّ means He completed them. The pronoun (هُنَّ) refers back to the heaven (singular, treated as plural in meaning, or referring to the seven heavens).
• Timeframe: This completion occurred in two days.

Chronology of Creation (Narrative):

• Some narrators state: Earth created Sunday/Monday; its features Tuesday/Wednesday; heavens Thursday/Friday. Adam was created in the last hour of Friday, the hour when the Hour (Judgment) begins.
• Addressing the "Day" Issue: Since a day requires sunrise/sunset (dependent on the sun/heavens), the term "day" here means a measure of time equivalent to what would constitute a day if the sun and heavens existed.

Inspiration in Every Heaven (وَأَوْحَى فِي كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ أَمْرَهَا):

• This means Allah ordained for each heaven its specific function.
• Interpretations:
  • What Allah willed for it.
  • Its sun, moon, and stars.
  • The angels residing there, its seas, and hailstones.
  • One view suggests a specific House (like the Ka'bah) in each heaven, circumambulated by its angels.
• Preferred View: Each heaven was assigned a specific duty or set of commands (e.g., specific angels performing perpetual acts like standing, bowing, or prostrating since creation).

Revisiting the Chronology (The Decree vs. The Act):

• Razi reiterates his view that خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ means Allah decreed its creation in two days, a decree that preceded the decree for the heavens. This decree does not necessitate that the actual physical creation of the earth preceded the heaven.

Verse 13: And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as a guard.

• Lamps (بِمَصَابِيحَ): The luminous bodies (stars, planets) created in the lowest heaven, each assigned a specific light, purpose, and nature known only to Allah.
• Guard (حِفْظًا): Protection from devils who try to eavesdrop on heavenly news. Each devil is struck by a shooting star, which may burn, kill, or confuse him.

The Jewish Account of Creation (Hadith):

• When Jews questioned the Prophet (PBUH) about creation, he reportedly said: Earth created Sunday/Monday; mountains/trees Tuesday/Wednesday; heaven Thursday; stars/sun/moon/angels Friday. Then Adam was created and placed in Paradise. When asked what followed, he said, "Then He established Himself upon the Throne." They asked, "Then He rested?" The Prophet became angry, and the verse وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِن لَّغُوبٍ (And no fatigue touched Us) was revealed.

Verse 14: But if they turn away, then say, "I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt that struck 'Ad and Thamud."

• If they reject this evidence, warn them of a punishment like that which struck the people of 'Ad and Thamud.

Verse 15: When the messengers came to them from before them and from behind them, [saying], "Worship none but Allah." They said, "If our Lord had willed, He could have sent down angels. Indeed, we are, in that with which you have been sent, disbelievers."

• The messengers warned them: "Worship only Allah."
• They replied: If Allah willed, He would have sent angels as messengers; therefore, we reject your message.

Verse 16: As for 'Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right and said, "Who is greater than us in strength?" Did they not see that Allah, Who created them, is greater than them in strength? And they were rejecting Our signs.

• The people of 'Ad were arrogant and claimed superior strength.
• The rebuttal: Is He Who created them not mightier than them? Yet they denied Allah's signs.

Verse 17: So We sent upon them a furious wind during several unlucky days to make them taste the punishment of disgrace in the worldly life. And the punishment of the Hereafter is more degrading, and they will not be helped.

• Allah punished 'Ad with a violent, continuous wind during days of ill omen, to taste humiliation in this life. The punishment of the Hereafter will be far more degrading, and they will have no helpers.

Verse 18: As for Thamud, We gave them guidance, but they preferred blindness over guidance, so the thunderbolt of humiliating punishment seized them for what they were earning.

• Thamud was guided, but they chose error over guidance.
• They were seized by the thunderbolt of ignominious punishment due to their deeds.

Verse 19: And We saved those who believed and were practicing righteousness.

• Those who believed and were pious were saved from that punishment.

Concluding Remark on Creation: ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ (That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing).

• This conclusion is excellent: Al-'Aziz (The All-Mighty) points to perfect power required for creation, and Al-'Alim (The All-Knowing) points to the perfect knowledge required for such precise ordering.