Creation of the Universe in Six Days?

 


Was the universe created in six days / epoch / periods / phase ? 

7:54  Indeed, your Lord (is) Allah the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six epochs, then He ascended on the Throne. He covers the night (with) the day seeking it rapidly and the sun and the moon and the stars - subjected by His command. Unquestionably for Him (is) the creation and the command, blessed (is) Allah, Lord (of) the worlds.

 

10:3    Indeed, your Lord (is) Allah the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then He established on the Throne, disposing the affairs. Not (is) any intercessor except from after His permission. That (is) Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Then will not you remember?

(Both translations from Islamawakened.com – Word for Word : Dr Shehnaz Shaikh, & others)

From the translations above, we can see the word “ayyāmin” had been translated as epochs and periods.

( Also in verses - 11:7, 25:59, 32:4, 50:38, 57:4 - refer at the end of this post)

While other commonly accepted translations had used the word (six) Days, the above translations appear to understand that  it is impossible for the heavens and the earth to be created literally in six days, or shall we say 144 hours.


The problem with this measurement is that a FULL DAY means the Earth must complete its axial rotation completely while orbiting the sun.  So this is like measuring the time of the creation of the universe based on something that had not existed for probably another few billion years. Our Solar System is about 5 billion years old and had not existed since the beginning.

 

And verse 51:47 says that the universe is expanding, meaning, it is still evolving: 

51:47  And the heaven We constructed it with strength, and indeed, We are surely its Expanders.


Just like everything else on earth, the process of evolution is still on going. In other words, the course of creation is still in progress.


The universe is believed to be nearly 14 billion years, while our ancestors have been around for only six million years, the modern form of humans only evolved about 200,000 years ago. Civilization as we know it was only about 6,000 years old. 

 

So human lifetime is still minuscule within this process of creation.  Billions of years have passed as precursor to our existence and other life forms.



Watch here on future astronomical events.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZZf2JhPLrY

 


If SIX DAYS cannot be the duration of the creation of the universe, then what is the meaning of “sittati ayyāmin”

 

From the Arabic lexicon, we can see the basic meaning of 

triliteral root  sīn tā tā (س ت ت ) as follows:


سَتَّهُ

accord to rule, and inf. n. app. سَتٌّ, q. v.,] He attributed or imputed to him, or charged him with, or accused him of, a fault, or defect, or the like; as also سَدَّهُ; syn. عَابَهُ. 





While the general meaning of trilateral root of yā wāw mīm ( ي و م  ) is generally regarded as day, it also signify time, moment, or events.




So the logical translation of “sittati ayyāmin“ would be charged events or attributed events;  - whereby the process of creation follows the laws that had been charged or ordained by the Creator.

10:3    Indeed, your Lord (is) Allah the One Who created the heavens and the earth in charged events, then He established on the Throne, disposing the affairs. Not (is) any intercessor except from after His permission. That (is) Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Then will not you remember?


From the moment of creation, also known as the Big Bang, the universe expands, as astronomers had observed that other galaxies are moving away from us as space, giving birth to distant stars and galaxies. The Creation and the expansion of the universe, which is still unfolding must follow the laws of the Creator, whether it’s physics or chemistry or other unknown branch of knowledge. 


The process of the creation of the universe is still unfolding with the creation of new stars and galaxies, as we gaze into the deep space.  How do we associate all these with the hijra calendar? We can't.


The Pillars of Creation are set off in a kaleidoscope of color in NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared-light view. The pillars look like arches and spires rising out of a desert landscape, but are filled with semi-transparent gas and dust, and ever changing. This is a region where young stars are forming – or have barely burst from their dusty cocoons as they continue to form.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI).






Traditional translations:

7:54  Indeed, your Lord (is) Allah the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six epochs, then He ascended on the Throne. He covers the night (with) the day seeking it rapidly and the sun and the moon and the stars - subjected by His command. Unquestionably for Him (is) the creation and the command, blessed (is) Allah, Lord (of) the worlds.

 

10:3    Indeed, your Lord (is) Allah the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then He established on the Throne, disposing the affairs. Not (is) any intercessor except from after His permission. That (is) Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Then will not you remember?

 

11:7  And He (is) the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six epochs, and was (his) throne on the water that He might test [you] which of you (is) best (in) deed. But if you say, "Indeed, you (will be) resurrected from after [the] death," surely would say those who disbelieved, "Not is this but a magic clear."

 

25:59   The One Who created the heavens and the earth and whatever (is) between them in six periods, then He established Himself over the Throne - the Most Gracious, so ask Him (as He is) All-Aware.

 

32:4  Allah (is) the One Who created the heavens and the earth and whatever (is) between them in six periods. Then established Himself on the Throne. Not for you from besides Him any protector and not any intercessor. Then will not you take heed?

 

50:38  And certainly, We created the heavens and the earth and whatever (is) between both of them in six periods, and (did) not touch Us any fatigue.

 

57:4  He (is) the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then He rose over the Throne. He knows what penetrates in(to) the earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven and what ascends therein; and He (is) with you wherever that you are. And Allah of what you do (is) All-Seer



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pilgrimage in Dzulhijjah and the Word Hajj in the Quran

Image
The word  Hajj  in the Quran    If we read the verses of the Quran regarding Hajj, it is impossible to understand or relate the verses with what were being practiced in Makkah during the pilgrimage season.  We can almost say that there is no clear correlation between Al-Hajj in the Quran and the performance of pilgrimage in Makkah.  We will find contradictions in the Quranic text with the events being practiced during pilgrimage in Makkah.     For example, the animals sacrifice that was said in commemoration with the event of Ibrahim having to sacrifice Ismail, was not supported by the Quran. The Quran gave a different narrative compared to what was traditionally believed.  We can easily recognize this in the Quranic text on the glad tidings of Is’haq, here.   If the young boy to be allegedly slaughtered was Ismail, so what’s with the rewards and replacement by the glad tidings of Is’haq?   The stoning ritual of Jamar...
Read more

Al-Siyam, Muttaqin & Ramadhan

Image
Introduction Verses 2:183 to 187 in Surah Al-Baqarah, had always been referred as the basis of fasting in the month of Ramadhan.  Fasting is said to be Muslims’ way to show solidarity with the poor, to experience the hardship of hunger, but the breaking of the fast is far from the real situation experienced by the poor. This state of affairs remained unresolved through this annual ritual and had raised a pertinent question on its objective results, whether this is what was ordained by the Quran, that has a measurable outcome in the long run. A special month?  Fasting in the month of Ramadhan, is an annual ritual, as we know it, to be in solidarity with the poor. While the month becomes a spiritual period, practicing abstinence and patience, one would ask, why can’t this conduct be made permanent throughout the year.  This belief that doing good deeds and charity in the month of Ramadhan brings greater rewards will raise the question whether the Lord of the Unive...
Read more

Al-Jumuah - Friday?

Image
Part of any calendar elements, are the weeks and the days, that form the basic units of the calendar months.      In this post, we would like to focus on this basic premise that forms the basic scheme of the Hijra Calendar, that distinguish a particular day as religiously significant from the other.     This is to pose the question whether Friday is a holier day and preferred by God than any other days. Holy days The Christians named Sunday as their holy day while The Jews will have their Sabbath on Saturday.     It was said that during the pre-Islamic period, Friday became the market day as both the Jews and the Christians will have their inactivity during the weekend and Friday would be their market day for them to get all their supplies.     The market day became the congregation day of the people waiting for merchandise, buying supplies and participate in the social activity and entertainment.       In this post, we will ex...
Read more