Dhivehi Atheists / Maldivian Atheists page : what was created first? heaven or earth Quran 41:9-12 (9) Say: Is it that ye deny Him Who created the earth in two Days? And do ye join equals with Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds...(10) He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (Sustenance).... (11) Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly. They said: We do come (together), in willing obedience. First, The Quran does not lay down a definitive sequence of events in 41:9-12 or any other place in the Quran. For example, it does not say First he did this, Second he did this, Third he did this, Fourth he did this, Fifth he did this, and Sixth he did this, giving us the total of the 6 periods of creation mentioned in many places in the Quran (7:54, 10:3, 11:7, 25:59, 32:4, 57:4, 50:38). Incidentally, each time we are told that creation is completed in six periods the word heaven always PROCEDES the word earth. The Quran did not intend for these verses to be interpreted sequentially because if one does the math the periods add up to eight and not six (2+4+2), thus, rendering these verses a mere description of non-sequential overlapping events. Second, the earth could not possibly be the first thing created in the sequence because Quran 79:27-30 states that in no uncertain terms beyond a shadow of a doubt that Allah created the heavens before the earth. Quran 79:27-30 (27) What! Are ye the more difficult to create or the heaven (above)? (Allah) hath constructed it:... (28) On high hath He raised its canopy, and He hath given it order and perfection... (29) Its night doth He endow with darkness, and its splendour doth He bring out (with light)... (30) And the earth, moreover, hath He extended (to a wide expanse); The word ---- ثُمَّ First, The word then translated in verses 2:29 and 41:11 is the Arabic word Tumma. It can be rendered And, Also or Moreover/Furthermore. Quran 2:29 هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge. Second, the Arabic word for he turned can be rendered as he turned, he has turned, or he had turned. The implication being a past action has occured. See Written Arabic - An Approach to the Basic Structures by A.F.L. Beeston (cost about $25.00), Chapter 3, note 22. Many translators of the Quran incorrectly use the word then. The sentence structure clearly breaks and the facts are separate accounts. Therefore there are no contradictions found in these three verses but it is only that translators happened to mistake the word Thumma as then for the arabic language is not such an easy language when trying to translate to other languages.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 21:51:21 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015