| Q: (38) And We have certainly created the heavens...

~~The entities are of three kinds: First, the heavens. Then He moved them and designated specific matters and locations for them. ~~Likewise, He created the earth and then spread it out. Similarly, He created the beings and kinds of what is between them, {in six days}. This indicates six stages (or phases). What supports and confirms this is that the meaning intended by "days" cannot be the linguistic definition, as a "day" in language refers to the time the sun is above the earth, from sunrise to sunset. Before the heavens, there was no sun or moon. However, the term "day" is also used to mean a specific time. It is said, "The day a son is born to the king is a day of great joy," and "The day so-and-so dies is a day of intense sorrow," even if the birth or death occurred at night. This usage is not restricted, and it falls within the speaker's intent, as they meant merely the moment or time. Once you understand this usage when "day" is attributed to actions, then grasp what is meant by the absolute use of "day" in the phrase: {six days}.

Some commentators said that the verse is a refutation of the Jews, who claimed that God began creating the universe on Sunday, finished it in six days (the last being Friday), and then rested on Saturday, reclining upon His Throne. God Almighty responded by saying: {And there touched Us no weariness}, as a refutation to them.

The apparent meaning is a refutation of the polytheists and an argument based on the creation of the heavens, the earth, and what is between them. His statement, {And there touched Us no weariness}, means that the initial creation did not tire Us, so We are not incapable of bringing about the resurrection. Secondly, it refers to the new creation, as He says: {Did We then grow weary with the first creation?} (Q: 15).

As for what the Jews said, transmitted from the Torah, it is either a distortion on their part or they did not know its interpretation. This is because Sunday and Monday are times distinguished from one another. If the creation of the heavens began on Sunday, then time would have existed before the physical bodies. Time cannot be separated from bodies; therefore, before the creation of bodies, there must have been other bodies, which necessitates affirming the eternity of the world—the doctrine of the philosophers.

It is strange that there is extreme disagreement between the philosophers and the anthropomorphists (Mushabbihah). The philosopher does not affirm any attribute for God Almighty at all, saying that God does not accept attributes; rather, He is one in all aspects. His knowledge, power, and life are His very essence, reality, and self. The anthropomorphist affirms bodily attributes for God, such as movement, stillness, sitting upon the Throne (Istiwā'), sitting, ascending, and descending. Thus, there is a contradiction between them.

Furthermore, the Jews, in this statement, combined both positions: they adopted the philosophers' doctrine regarding the most specific issue to them—eternity—by affirming numbered days and limited times before the creation of bodies. And they adopted the anthropomorphists' doctrine regarding the issue most specific to them—sitting upon the Throne—thereby erring and leading astray in both time and place.

! 7 < { So be patient with what they say, and glorify the praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting. } > 7

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