7:54 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

إن ربكم -أيها الناس- هو الله الذي أوجد السموات والأرض من العدم في ستة أيام، ثم استوى -سبحانه- على العرش -أي علا وارتفع- استواءً يليق بجلاله وعظمته، يُدخل سبحانه الليل على النهار، فيلبسه إياه حتى يذهب نوره، ويُدخل النهار على الليل فيذهب ظلامه، وكل واحد منهما يطلب الآخر سريعًا دائمًا، وهو -سبحانه- الذي خلق الشمس والقمر والنجوم مذللات له يسخرهن -سبحانه- كما يشاء، وهنَّ من آيات الله العظيمة. ألا له سبحانه وتعالى الخلق كله وله الأمر كله، تعالى الله وتعاظم وتنزَّه عن كل نقص، رب الخلق أجمعين.

يقول تعالى مبينا أنه الرب المعبود وحده لا شريك له: { إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ } وما فيهما على عظمهما وسعتهما، وإحكامهما، وإتقانهما، وبديع خلقهما. { فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ } أولها يوم الأحد، وآخرها يوم الجمعة، فلما قضاهما وأودع فيهما من أمره ما أودع { اسْتَوَى } تبارك وتعالى { عَلَى الْعَرْشِ } العظيم الذي يسع السماوات والأرض وما فيهما وما بينهما، استوى استواء يليق بجلاله وعظمته وسلطانه، فاستوى على العرش، واحتوى على الملك، ودبر الممالك، وأجرى عليهم أحكامه الكونية، وأحكامه الدينية، ولهذا قال: { يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ } المظلم { النَّهَارَ } المضيء، فيظلم ما على وجه الأرض، ويسكن الآدميون، وتأوى المخلوقات إلى مساكنها، ويستريحون من التعب، والذهاب والإياب الذي حصل لهم في النهار. { يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا } كلما جاء الليل ذهب النهار، وكلما جاء النهار ذهب الليل، وهكذا أبدا على الدوام، حتى يطوي اللّه هذا العالم، وينتقل العباد إلى دار غير هذه الدار. { وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ } أي: بتسخيره وتدبيره، الدال على ما له من أوصاف الكمال، فخلْقُها وعظَمُها دالٌّ على كمال قدرته، وما فيها من الإحكام والانتظام والإتقان دال على كمال حكمته، وما فيها من المنافع والمصالح الضرورية وما دونها دال على سعة رحمته وذلك دال على سعة علمه، وأنه الإله الحق الذي لا تنبغي العبادة إلا له. { أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ } أي: له الخلق الذي صدرت عنه جميع المخلوقات علويها وسفليها، أعيانها وأوصافها وأفعالها والأمر المتضمن للشرائع والنبوات، فالخلق: يتضمن أحكامه الكونية القدرية، والأمر: يتضمن أحكامه الدينية الشرعية، وثم أحكام الجزاء، وذلك يكون في دار البقاء، { تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ } أي: عظم وتعالى وكثر خيره وإحسانه، فتبارك في نفسه لعظمة أوصافه وكمالها، وبارك في غيره بإحلال الخير الجزيل والبر الكثير، فكل بركة في الكون، فمن آثار رحمته، ولهذا قال: فـ { تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ } ولما ذكر من عظمته وجلاله ما يدل ذوي الألباب على أنه وحده، المعبود المقصود في الحوائج كلها أمر بما يترتب على ذلك، فقال: { ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً إِنَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ وَلا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلاحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفاً وَطَمَعاً إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ }

يخبر تعالى أنه خالق العالم سماواته وأرضه وما بين ذلك في ستة أيام كما أخبر بذلك في غير ما آية من القرآن والستة أيام هي الأحد والاثنين والثلاثاء والأربعاء والخميس والجمعة وفيه اجتمع الخلق كله وفيه خلق آدم عليه السلام واختلفوا في هذه الأيام هل كل يوم منها كهذه الأيام كما هو المتبادر إلى الأذهان أو كل يوم كألف سنة كما نص على ذلك مجاهد والإمام أحمد بن حنبل ويروى ذلك من رواية الضحاك عن ابن عباس فأما يوم السبت فلم يقع فيه خلق لأنه اليوم السابع ومنه سمي السبت وهو القطع فأما الحديث الذي رواه الإمام أحمد في مسنده حيث قال حدثنا حجاج حدثنا بن جريج أخبرني إسماعيل بن أمية عن أيوب بن خالد عن عبد الله بن رافع مولى أم سلمة عن أبي هريرة قال:أخذ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيدي فقال "خلق الله التربة يوم السبت وخلق الجبال فيها يوم الأحد وخلق الشجر فيها يوم الاثنين وخلق المكروه يوم الثلاثاء وخلق النور يوم الأربعاء وبث فيها الدواب يوم الخميس وخلق آدم بعد العصر يوم الجمعة آخر الخلق في آخر ساعة من ساعات الجمعة فيما بين العصر إلى الليل ". فقد رواه مسلم بن الحجاج في صحيحه والنسائي من غير وجه عن حجاج وهو ابن محمد الأعور عن ابن جريج به وفيه استيعاب الأيام السبعة والله تعالى قد قال في ستة أيام ولهذا تكلم البخاري وغير واحد من الحفاظ في هذا الحديث وجعلوه من رواية أبي هريرة عن كعب الأحبار ليس مرفوعا والله أعلم. وأما قوله تعالى "ثم استوى على العرش" فللناس في هذا المقام مقالات كثيرة جدا ليس هذا موضع بسطها وإنما نسلك في هذا المقام مذهب السلف الصالح مالك والأوزاعي والثوري والليث بن سعد والشافعي وأحمد وإسحاق بن راهويه وغيرهم من أئمة المسلمين قديما وحديثا وهو إمرارها كما جاءت من غير تكييف ولا تشبيه ولا تعطيل والظاهر المتبادر إلى أذهان المشبهين منفي عن الله فإن الله لا يشبهه شيء من خلقه و"ليس كمثله شيء وهو السميع البصير" بل الأمر كما قال الأئمة منهم نعيم بن حماد الخزاعي شيخ البخاري قال من شبه الله بخلقه كفر ومن جحد ما وصف الله به نفسه فقد كفر وليس فيما وصف الله به نفسه ولا رسوله تشيبه فمن أثبت لله تعالى ما وردت به الآيات الصريحة والأخبار الصحيحة على الوجه الذي يليق بجلال الله ونفي عن الله تعالى النقائص فقد سلك سبيل الهدى وقوله تعالى "يغشي الليل النهار يطلبه حثيثا" أي يذهب ظلام هذا بضياء هذا وضياء هذا بظلام هذا وكل منهما يطلب الآخر طلبا حثيثا أي سريعا لا يتأخر عنه بل إذا ذهب هذا جاء وهذا وعكسه كقوله "وآية لهم الليل نسلخ منه النهار فإذا هم مظلمون والشمس تجري لمستقر لها ذلك تقدير العزيز العليم والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم لا الشمس ينبغي لها أن تدرك القمر ولا الليل سابق النهار وكل في فلك يسبحون" فقوله "ولا الليل سابق النهار" أي لا يفوته بوقت يتأخر عنه بل هو في أثره بلا واسطة بينهما ولهذا قال "يطلبه حثيثا والشمس والقمر والنجوم مسخرات بأمره" منهم من نصب ومنهم من رفع وكلاهما قريب المعنى أي الجميع تحت قهره وتسخيره ومشيئته ولهذا قال منبها "ألا له الخلق والأمر" أي له الملك والتصرف "تبارك الله رب العالمين" كقوله "تبارك الذي جعل في السماء بروجا" الآية. قال ابن جرير حدثني المثنى حدثنا إسحاق حدثنا هشام أبو عبد الرحمن حدثنا بقية بن الوليد حدثنا عبد الغفار بن عبد العزيز الأنصاري عن عبد العزيز الشامي عن أبيه وكانت له صحبة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "من لم يحمد الله على ما عمل من عمل صالح وحمد نفسه فقد كفر وحبط عمله ومن زعم أن الله جعل للعباد من الأمر شيئا فقد كفر بما أنزل الله على أنبيائه" لقوله "ألا له الخلق والأمر تبارك الله رب العالمين" وفي الدعاء المأثور عن أبي الدرداء وروي مرفوعا "اللهم لك الملك كله ولك الحمد كله وإليك يرجع الأمر كله أسألك من الخير كله وأعوذ بك من الشر كله".

Surely your Lord is God Who created the heavens 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 yughshī or yughashshī 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-samāwāt ‘the heavens’ 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!

Commentary

Verse 54 begins with the statement that Allah has created the heavens and the earth and the planets and the stars and that they perform their functions under a firmly established system. The statement releases an inevitable suggestion that the maker of this system has the most perfect power conceivable. This, in turn, invites every reasonable human being to think. Here is the most sacred Being who is capable of bringing this great universe from non-being to the state of being and who can keep it functioning through the wisest of systems. Why would it be difficult for him to undo everything and recreate it once again on the day of Qiyamah? For human beings, the best course is to stop denying the Qiyamah and turn to the same Being as their Rabb who is their Master and Nurturer. From Him they should seek what they need and Him alone they should worship. Let them come out of the quagmire of worshiping their own kind and recognize the truth. Said herein was: ` Surely, your Lord is Allah - Who created the heavens and the earth in six days.'

The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth: Why in Six Days?

A question arises here. We know that Allah Ta` ala has great power. He is capable of creating the whole universe in a single moment. The Holy Qur'an itself says so time and again. For instance, in Surah Al-Qamar, it is said: وَمَا أَمْرُ‌نَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ‌ ﴿50﴾ (And Our Command is but a single Word, - like the twinkling of an eye - 54:50). Again, in Surah Ya Sin, إِذَا أَرَ‌ادَ شَيْئًا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ (when [ Allah ] intends [ to create ] a thing it is said: “ Be” and it comes to be - 36:82). Why, then, would six days be spent in creating the universe?

Commentator of the Qur'an, Sayyidna Said ibn Jubayr رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ has given an answer by saying that Allah is certainly capable of creating everything there is in a single moment, but Divine wisdom so demanded that the creation of our universe take six days so that human beings could be taught the lesson of graduation and perfection in run-ning the universal system. This is supported by a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: Working with deliberation, dignity and graduation is from Allah Ta` ala and hastening, from Shaytan. (Mazhari, with reference to Shu'ab al-'iman by Al-Baihaqi)

The implication is that the attitude of rushing into doing things is not good for human beings. One cannot give due thought to and take into consideration all aspects of an issue at hand if driven by haste. An action taken in haste spoils what is done and brings remorse in the end. So, whatever is done with proper advance thinking and functional ease brings Barakah (blessing from Allah which enhances the efficiency and outcome of the Endeavour).

How were Days and Nights identified before the Creation of Earth, Heavens and Planets?

The second question is: The presence of the day and night is recognized through the movement of the sun. But, before the birth of the earth and the heavens, when there was no sun and moon, on what basis comes the count of six days?

For this reason, some commentators have said that six days means a time duration equal to six days and nights as in the existing world. But, a much clearer approach is that the terminology of day and night, that is, what occurs from sunrise to sunset is day and what appears from sunset to the next sunrise is night, is a terminology used in this world. May be, before the birth of the universe, Allah Ta` ala had other signs determined for the day and night - as it would be in Paradise where the day and night will not depend on the movement of the sun.

This also tells us that it is not necessary that the six days during which the earth and the heavens were created, be equal to our six days. Instead, it is possible that they may be longer than these - as the Qur'an says about the day of 'Akhirah which will be equal to one thousand years.

Abu ` Abdullah Razi has said that the movement of the far firmament is so fast as compared to the movements of our earth that the raised step of a man running here has still to come down to touch the ground when the far firmament moves a distance of three thousand miles. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Mujahid say that six days here mean the six days of 'Akhirah. The same view appears in a narration of Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ reported by Dahhak.

And these six days during which the creation of the universe took place began, according to authentic narrations, from Friday and ended on Friday. On Yowm al-Sabt (the day of Sabbath), that is, Saturday, there was no work done on the creation of the universe. Some ` Ulama say that ` sabt' means to discontinue. The day was named as Yowm al-Sabt because the work of creation was over by that day. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Mentioned in this verse is the creation of the universe in six days. Its details appear in verses 9 and 10 of Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah (Fussilat - 41:9, 10) saying that the earth was created in two days, then, created on the earth were, mountains, rivers, tributaries, trees, vegetation and things, human beings and animals could eat, in another two days. This comes to a total of four days. So, it was first said: خَلَق الاَرضَ فِی یَومین (created the earth in two days) and then it was said: قَدَّرَ‌ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِي أَرْ‌بَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ (and determined in it the measure of its sustenance in four days).

The first two days during which the earth was created are Sunday and Monday; and the other two days during which the mountains, rivers and the life support systems of the earth were created are Tuesday and Wednesday. Thereafter, it was said: فَقَضَاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ فِي يَوْمَيْ (that is, then We completed the seven heavens in two days - 41:12 ). As obvious, these two days will be Thursday and Friday. Thus, by Friday, this becomes a total of six days.

In the present verse (54), after mentioning the creation of the heavens and the earth, it was said: ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْ‌شِ (then He positioned Himself on the Throne). The word: اِسْتَوَىٰ (Istawa), as followed by 'ala (on) here, literally means to take position on, or to settle, or be established. The word: عَرْ‌شِ ('Arsh) means throne. Now, the question is what is this throne, the throne of the great Rahman, and how is it shaped or constituted, or is as it is - and what would the phenomena of positioning' on it mean?

Regarding this, the safest creed to hold, that which is clear and correct, and fairly doubt-free too, is no other but that of the most righteous elders, the Sahabah and the Tabi` in - and later, that of many Sufi thinkers as well. The creed is that human reason is incapable of comprehending the reality of the Being and Attributes of Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu. Pursuing the knowledge of its exact reality is an exercise in futility, even harmful. One should believe, as a matter of general principle, that the meaning intended by Allah Ta` ala - whatever it may be - is the one correct and true. And, in this process, one should not try to determine or worry about fixing a meaning on one's own.

Someone asked the famous Imam Malik (رح) exactly the same question:

at is the meaning of: اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْ‌شِ (Istawa ` ala al-'arsh : positioned Himself on the throne)? He paused for a while, then said: ` Everyone knows the meaning of ` Istawa and its particular nature and reality is such that human reason cannot comprehend it, and having faith in it is obligatory (Wajib), and asking a question about its nature and reality is Bid'ah (innovation in established religion) - because, the noble Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them all, never asked such questions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Great elders (Salaf), Sufyan Al-Thawriy, Imam Awza'i, Layth ibn Sa'd, Sufyan ibn ` Uyaiynah and ` Abdullah ibn Mubarak, may the mercy of Allah be upon them all, have said that the verses which have appeared in the Qur'an as related to the Being and Attributes of Allah Ta` ala should be believed in as they have come and exactly as they are, without any explanation, explication and interpretation. (Mazhari)

Said after that in the verse was: يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ‌ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا (He covers the day with night which pursues it swiftly). The sense is that this alternation of the night and day is a phenomenon of revolutionary proportions in that it brings the whole world from light into the darkness, and from darkness into the light. Then, this very phenomena lends itself so swiftly and smoothly and obediently to the magnificent subduing power of Allah Ta` ala that the least delay is not caused (in this transformation on such an unimaginable scale).

After that, it was said: وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ‌ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَ‌اتٍ بِأَمْرِ‌هِ that is, Allah created the sun and the moon and the stars in a state that all of them are moving in obedience to His will and command.

For a reasonable person, this is an invitation to think, to think about things made by the made he observes around him all the time. Experts make machines of all sorts. Some of them would have engineering problems right from the start. Others may not have such problems, but machines are machines, no matter how strong the base material and how impeccable the design. Parts have their normal wear and tear, or need for adjustment, repairs, servicing. Machines become idle until fixed. It might take weeks, or months, to put them back to work. But, look at these God-made machines. The efficiency and the perfection with which they started working from day one is still there. They are working wonderfully non-stop. Their movement is as precise as ever, not a second fast or slow. There is no wear and tear of parts and no need to go to a workshop. The reason is that they are functioning ` subject to His command' (مُسَخَّرَ‌اتٍ بِأَمْرِ‌هِ ). In other words, they need no source of energy to move them, no engine to make them function. They are working only under Divine Command. They are subjected to that alone. Therefore, the emergence of the slightest malfunction in them is impossible. But, of course, when the Absolute Master Himself decides to eliminate them at a time appointed by Him, this entire system would disintegrate. That day will be the day of Qiyamah.

After having pointed out some examples, the description of the Absolute Subduing Power of Allah Ta` ala was put in the form of a general rule by saying: أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ‌ (Beware, for Him alone is the creation and the command). The word: خَلق (khalq) means to create and: اَمر (amr), to command. The sense is that being the Creator and the Master is exclusive to Him. Other than Him, no one else can create the most insignificant of things, nor does anyone have the right to subject anyone to his command (except that Allah Ta` ala Himself delegates a particular area of activity to someone, in which case that too would be, in reality, nothing but the command of Allah). So, the verse means that creating all these things was the work of none but Him, and putting them into service was also not something anyone else could handle, for that too is an spectacle of the perfect power of Allah Ta` ala.

In Sufi thought, ` Khalq' and ` Amr' are two domains. ` Khalq' relates to matter and ` Amr' to the refined abstract. The Qur'anic verse: قُلِ الرُّ‌وحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ‌ رَ‌بِّي (Say, "The soul is a command from my Lord." - 17: 85) points out in this direction as "Ruh" (soul, spirit) has been identified as a command from the Lord. The sense of the creation and the command being exclusive to Allah Ta` ala would, in this light, mean that everything between the heavens and the earth is from matter and its creation has been called "Khalq." And what is beyond these, free from matter, its creation has been called "Amr." (Mazhari)

At the end of the verse, it was said: تَبَارَ‌كَ اللَّـهُ رَ‌بُّ الْعَالَمِينَ (Glorious is Allah, the Lord of the worlds). The word: تَبَارَک (tabarak) appearing here is a derivation from barakah which means to increase, grow, become more, remain, sustain, besides being employed in many other shades of meaning. At this place, ` tabaraka' means to be high and supreme. It can be taken in the sense of high and sustaining, for Allah Ta` ala is both. The sense of high finds confirmation in a sentence of the Hadith which says: تَبَرَکتَ وَ تَعَلَیتَ یَا ذَا الجلالِ وَ الاِکرَامِ (You are blessed and high, 0 Master of Glory and Honour). Here, the word: ` tabarkta' has been explained by the word: ta` aiaita which follows.

Surely your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then sat upon the Throne. Lord is the name of the Lord whose name is light and whose message is light joined with love. He is the nurturer of the world's folk, the keeper of the creatures, the requiter, the lovingly kind. He is pure and peerless, the judge of how and why, not defiled by any unworthy thing. He is appar- ent to Himself in rightness, apparent to Himself in being, apparent to the heart in friendship. He is one and enough, taking care of what everyone has, able to keep the hearts straight, the Lord of everything, the keeper of every being, the nurturer of everything apt to go higher. First He said Lord as the portion of the common people, then He said God as the portion of the recognizers and the sincerely truthful. Lord puts the hearts of good men at ease, God plunders the spirits of the recognizers. Lord bestows blessings on the askers, God throws love into the hearts of the friends. Lord pours the blessings of vision on the faithful, God lights up the lamp of love in the recognizers with vision. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Love and vision met. Love said to vision, 'You are like light, for you brighten the world.' “Vision said to love, 'You are like fire, for you burn the world.' Then vision said, 'When I disclose myself, I pull suffering from the heart.' “Love said, 'Well, when I settle down in the heart, I plunder it.' “Vision said, 'I am a gift for those who are tested.' “Love said, 'I throw tumult into the world.'” Vision is the share of those who recognize Him in the artisanries. They reach Him on the basis of the artisanries-the engendered, determined, and newly arrived things, namely the creation of the earth, the heavens, the sun, the moon, and the subjected stars. Love is the share of those who recognize Him through Him and who come from Him to the artisanries, not from the artisanries to Him. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Indigent is he who recognizes Him through the artisanries! Wretched is he who loves Him for the sake of blessings! Foolish is he who searches for Him with his own effort! “He who recognizes Him through the artisanries worships Him in fear and want. He who loves Him for the sake of blessings turns away on the day of tribulation. He who seeks Him by himself fancies that the not found will be found. “The recognizers recognize Him through His light, but no one can give expression to the radi- ance of finding. Burning in the fire of love, they never turn away from joy.” Then sat upon the Throne. His Throne in heaven is well known. His Throne in earth is the heart of the friends. He said about the Throne in heaven, “Upon that day eight shall carry above them the Throne of your Lord” [69:17]. The angels will lift it up. He said about the Throne in earth, “We carried them on land and sea [17:70]. We Ourselves will carry it. We will not give it over to the angels.” The angels gaze on the throne of heaven, but the God of the universe gazes on the throne of earth. Concerning the throne of heaven He said, “The All-Merciful sat on the Throne” [20:5]. Concerning the throne of earth He said, “I am with those whose hearts are broken.” “The heart of the person of faith is between two fingers of the All-Merciful.”