7-54 Surely your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods,a and He is established on the Throne of Power.b He makes the night cover the day, which it pursues incessantly. And (He created) the sun and the moon and the stars, made subservient by His command. Surely His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds!c
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذي خَلَقَ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضَ في سِتَّةِ أَيّامٍ ثُمَّ استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ يُغشِي اللَّيلَ النَّهارَ يَطلُبُهُ حَثيثًا وَالشَّمسَ وَالقَمَرَ وَالنُّجومَ مُسَخَّراتٍ بِأَمرِهِ ۗ أَلا لَهُ الخَلقُ وَالأَمرُ ۗ تَبارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ العالَمينَ (۵۴)
7-54a: یوم – Its meaning has been explained in 1:3a. The period of یوم can be from a moment to fifth thousand years. It is obvious that a day which is also called یوم and extends from sunrise to sunset came into existence after the creation of the heavens and the earth. So, the mention of یوم in the creation of heaven and earth cannot be the period of night and day or twenty-four hours. Instead یوم is used in its generic meaning of time which is not constrained by limits.
What is meant by the creation of heaven and earth in six days: It is stated in this section that the truth brought by revelation will succeed but its progress, as is the case with all natural processes, will be incremental. Hence it is stated in the beginning that even the heavens and earth were created by Allah in six periods, that is they reached their present state after having passed through six conditions in six periods. This interpretation is further supported by the fact that Allah has mentioned in the first section of Surah Al Muminun (Chapter 23) that man too is created by passing through six stages, namely life-germ, clot, lump of flesh, the creation of bones in the lump of flesh, development of organs and the clothing of bones with flesh and the birth of life in it. Similarly, in the same Surah Al Muminun are mentioned the six virtues of a spiritual person (Verse 1 – 9). According to science, the earth too has passed through six stages to reach its present state, throwing off of the hot cosmic matter, the cooling of its surface and the separation of the water, the creation of the mountains from the thickened crust, the fourth stage is the growth of vegetation, the fifth stage is the creation of animals and the sixth stage is the creation of man. Similarly, six stages are observed in the creation of all things in heaven. In a hadith of Muslim, six stages are given in the creation of earth as follows: The creation of dust, the making of mountains in it, the growth of trees, creation of things that entail labor, creating light, the creation of animals and finally the creation of man. The mention of یوم الاحد یوم الثنین etcetera in some narrations do not pertain to the days of the week, Sunday, Monday etcetera, but first day, second day, etcetera and by یوم الجمعة is meant the day of gathering, that is the day on which as a result of the creation of Adam the whole creation was gathered. At the end of a similar narration in Ibn Jarir, it is stated that every day of these six days is of the length of one thousand years. Thus, it is established that the days mentioned in the narration were never taken to be the days of the week but six periods regardless of whether those periods are one thousand years, or fifty thousand years or one million years.
7-54b: استَوىٰ – For its meaning see 2-29a. It is used to describe a thing that is internally stable and in equilibrium, as in: إِذَا استَوَيتَ أَنتَ (when thou art firmly seated) (23:28); لِتَستَووا عَلىٰ ظُهورِهِ (That you may sit firm on their backs) (43:13). The meaning of استَوىٰ in this sense can be firmly seated or to be at rest or tranquil. It has also been stated that if the relative pronoun of استَوىٰ is علیٰ , then its meaning is dominance or control, and the meaning of استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ can also be استَوىٰ لهٗ با فی السمٰوات و مافی الارض ای اِسۡتَقَمَ الکُلُّ علیٰ مُرادہ بِتَسۡوِیَةِ اللّٰه تعالیٰ اِیَّاہُ (Whatever is in the heaven and earth came to be at rest and tranquil for Him or reached a state of steadiness and constancy according to His desire because Allah has created balance in everything (R).
العَرش – According to Raghib, the literal meaning of عَرش is a roofed structure and the place where the king sits, that is the throne, is called عَرش because of its highness. He further states that the word is also used to convey being more powerful, that is dominance, authority and kingship. Thus, in a narration of Caliph Umar, the phrase ثُلّ عرشُهٗ is used and the purport is that the person’s dominance and power dissipated. Raghib states that Allah’s عَرش is something that no human has knowledge of and it is certainly not like what the masses conceive because in that case the عَرش is holding up Allah, and Allah’s Being is free from such need. He writes that according to some the meaning of عَرش in ذوالعرش etcetera means Allah’s kingdom and His hegemony, and not a place for him to sit as He is free from such need.
What is the meaning of استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ : The first thing to remember is that one should not be misled by the use of words. The words used for Allah are the same as the ones used for humans, but their reality is very different. Thus, God has hands, He listens, and He sees but it is a big mistake to consider them to be like human hands, human hearing and human seeing. Similarly, a worldly king has an عَرش and Allah has an عَرش but considering the two to be similar is a big mistake. The king’s kingship is dependent upon the throne, but God’s kingship does not need a throne. A king ascending the throne means that his reign has started, and this is the meaning one can ascribe to استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ and not the physical act of sitting on the throne. See 2-15a where it is shown that when a word is used for Allah, the process is not ascribed to Allah, and it is only the final purpose of the act which is ascribed to Him. The use of استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ for humans includes both the physical act of ascending on the throne and the start of the reign but for God استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ is the promulgation of His authority and power.
The Quran itself clarifies its meanings. Thus, it is stated in Surah Younas: استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ ۖ يُدَبِّرُ الأَمرَ (He is established on the Throne of Power regulating the Affair) (10:3), where استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ is explained as being regulating the Affair. Specifically, here there is first the mention of the creation of the heavens and earth, then of استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ and then the verse is ended with لَهُ الخَلقُ وَالأَمر which shows that He is the Creator and also the Regulator. It clearly appears from this that استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ is the promulgation of the regulation of Affair by Allah. This is what the manner of exposition also demands because creation is one act and the promulgation of order another. Both are essential components of omnipotence, that is, He creates, and it is His authority that controls everything. This is the same meaning as given by Imam Abu Bakr Al Qaffal (RM).
There is a misunderstanding among the masses about کرسی and عَرش. Bukhari has removed the misunderstanding about the first mentioned by giving the meaning of کرسی as knowledge. See 2-255c. This too supports the meaning of عَرش as power or promulgation of control. If the meaning of کرسی is knowledge, then the popularly understood meaning by the masses is shown to be false. All the narrations that give the popularly understood meaning have been discussed by Bayhaqi and classed as unreliable. See Ruh al-Maani. This is further supported by the fact that the Quran repeatedly states that whatever is in the heaven and earth belongs to Him and that He knows whatever is in the heaven and earth, but nowhere is it stated that whatever is in the کرسی and عَرش is His and He knows what is in them. If these were two firmaments, then there should have been such a statement.
7-54c: حَثيثًا –حَثّ means hasten to meet and حثیث means one who hastens (LA).
مُسَخَّراتٍ – تَسۡخِیۡر means to overcome and to forcibly take someone towards a particular purpose. مُسَخِّر is someone who puts another to work under compulsion (R) and مُسَخَّر is someone who is put to work under compulsion. سُخۡرِیّ is someone who is overcome but then willingly goes to work, as in: لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعضُهُم بَعضًا سُخرِيًّا (that some of them may take others in service) (43:32). However, مُسَخَّراتٍ can also be derived from تسخیر as well as سُخرِیَّة (to mock) (R).
تَبارَكَ – بَرکَة means Allah’s blessings in some work and there is an admonition in تَبارَكَ that it is only Allah who grants the blessings that are associated with تَبارَكَ . There is an indication in the incessant alteration of the night and day that after the darkness which is spreading over the earth there will be the light of the day. It is with relevance to this that there is mention of the sun, moon and stars.
7-55 Call on your Lord humbly and in secret. Surely He loves not the transgressors.a
ادعوا رَبَّكُم تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفيَةً ۚ إِنَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ المُعتَدينَ (۵۵)
7-55a: Period of great hardships for Islam: Attention is drawn to prayer in the face of great hardships faced by Muslims. In the present times too, if the Muslims resort to prayer, they will come out of their difficulties. It is conveyed in لا يُحِبُّ المُعتَدينَ that those who do not pray humbly to God begin to act cruelly and unjustly with others, and Allah does not love such transgressing people. Hence Muslims should turn their attention to prayer and immerse themselves in it so that they may be successful, save themselves from committing oppression and injustice, and that Allah may love them. The humble prayer is one where one implores earnestly and with conviction. Praying secretly or in hiding is also good but imploring humbly and openly creates a special effect on the heart.
7-56 And make not mischief in the earth after its reformation, and call on Him, fearing and hoping. Surely the mercy of Allah is nigh to the doers of good.a
وَلا تُفسِدوا فِي الأَرضِ بَعدَ إِصلاحِها وَادعوهُ خَوفًا وَطَمَعًا ۚ إِنَّ رَحمَتَ اللَّهِ قَريبٌ مِنَ المُحسِنينَ (۵۶)
7-56a: Attention is drawn here towards doing good to Allah’s creation because doing good to Allah’s creation attracts His mercy. Muslims are also reminded that they should not spread mischief after they are successful.
7-57 And He it is Who sends forth the winds bearing good news before His mercy; till, when they bear a laden cloud, We drive it to a dead land, then We send down water on it, then bring forth thereby fruits of all kinds. Thus do We bring forth the dead that you may be mindful.a
وَهُوَ الَّذي يُرسِلُ الرِّياحَ بُشرًا بَينَ يَدَي رَحمَتِهِ ۖ حَتّىٰ إِذا أَقَلَّت سَحابًا ثِقالًا سُقناهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَنزَلنا بِهِ الماءَ فَأَخرَجنا بِهِ مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَراتِ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ نُخرِجُ المَوتىٰ لَعَلَّكُم تَذَكَّرونَ (۵۷)
7-57a: أَقَلَّت – Its root is قلة and the meaning of اَقَلَلۡتُ is that I found this to be small in weight or light and sometimes the lightness is relative to the strength of another thing. So, the meaning of أَقَلَّت is that the winds lift the water vapors and fiund it to be light before its strength (R). There is a subtle indication in this of the strength of winds as they are able to carry millions of tons of water.
A simple phenomenon of nature is mentioned, and attention is drawn to how cool winds are a harbinger of rain. A parallel is then created with spiritual rain as cool winds are preceding it too. These cool winds consist of the good news of the slow but increasing acceptance of Islam. This will be followed by a time when the spiritual rain will fall on a dead earth and cause it to spring to life. This interpretation has been perfectly clarified by stating: كَذٰلِكَ نُخرِجُ المَوتىٰ (Thus do We bring forth the dead) because the dead mentioned are those about whom it is stated elsewhere أَوَمَن كانَ مَيتًا فَأَحيَيناهُ (Is he who was dead, then We raised him to life) (6:122).
7-58 And the good land — its vegetation comes forth (abundantly) by the permission of its Lord. And that which is inferior — (its herbage) comes forth but scantily. Thus do We repeat the messages for a people who give thanks.a
وَالبَلَدُ الطَّيِّبُ يَخرُجُ نَباتُهُ بِإِذنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَالَّذي خَبُثَ لا يَخرُجُ إِلّا نَكِدًا ۚ كَذٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الآياتِ لِقَومٍ يَشكُرونَ (۵۸)
7-58a: نَكِدًا – نَکدَ or نَکِد is everything that is obtained with great difficulty and only in small quantity (R).
Difference in ability to accept the truth: This is explained by an example from the physical world. Attention is drawn to a common observation that all land is not alike. Rain may fall uniformly on the land. Some tracts of land absorb the water and produce a bumper harvest while on some tracts, the water runs off and even if it produces a crop, it is very scanty, of a poor quality and does not progress into healthy plants. Similarly, there is a difference in the nature of men and each will benefit from the spiritual rain in accordance with their ability. It is wrong to expect the same degree of acceptance from everyone.
Bayan-ul-Quran 