Was the earth created before the sky?

QUESTION:

in the Quran it says the earth was created before the stars which is a lie. Surah 41:10-12

ANSWER:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Firstly, we must always gain the knowledge of our religion under the supervision of a qualified, learned teacher and through reliable and accurate means. The great scholar, ibn Sīreen (may Allah have mercy upon him), said:

إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذون دينكم

“This knowledge is our religion, so take care in who you take your religion from.” [1]

Without such guidance, one is prone to either confusion, mistakes or misunderstandings when accessing mere translation of any technical scripture, let alone, the Holy Qur’ān.

The Holy Qur’ān neither has to affirm nor deny our understanding with regards to the formation of the solar system. Furthermore, the Holy Qur’ān is not defined by scientific principles or theories as these scientific theories are subject to change [2], nor was the Holy Qur’ān intended as a scientific textbook. 

Below is the verse which you have referenced from Sūrah 41, Verse 10:

وجعل فيها رواسي من فوقها وبارك فيها وقدر فيها أقواتها في أربعة أيام سواء للسائلين

He placed on it [the earth] firm mountains, standing high, showered His blessings upon it, and ordained all its means of sustenance — in four days — for all who ask. 

This verse, however, is not the only verse which talks about the creation of the earth; Allah Ta’ālā mentions in Sūrah 2, Verse 29:

هو الذی خلق لكم ما فی الأرض جمیعا ثم استوىٰ إلى السماء فسوىٰهن سبع سمٰو ٰ⁠ت وهو بكل شیء علیم

It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heavens and made them seven heavens; and He is Knowing of all things.

Furthermore, in Sūrah 79, Verses 27-32, Allah Ta’ālā says:

أَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ السَّمَاءُ ۚ بَنَاهَا . رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا . وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَاهَا . وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا . أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا . وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا

Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He built it. He raised its ceiling and proportioned it. And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness. And after that, He spread the earth. He extracted from it water and its pasture; and the mountains He set firmly.

‘Allāmah Ālūsī (may Allah have mercy upon him) explains in Rūh al-Ma’ānī (1:219: DKI): 

اختلف المفسرون في أن خلق السماء مقدم على خلق الأرض أو مؤخر، نقل الإمام الواحدي عن مقاتل الأول، واختاره المحققون، ولم يختلفوا في أن جميع ما في الأرض مما ترى مؤخر عن خلق السماوات السبع، بل اتفقوا عليه، فحينئذ يجعل الخلق في الآية الكريمة بمعنى التقدير، لا الإيجاد، أو بمعناه، ويقدر الإرادة،

The commentators have a differed [in opinion] with regards to whether the creation of the sky was before the creation of the earth, or after. Imam Wāhidī has transmitted the first opinion from Muqātil [that the sky was created first] and the researchers have also preferred this view. There was no difference of opinion regarding everything on earth coming into existence after the creation of the sky, rather everyone agreed on this. Thus, the term ‘Khalq’ in the verse will mean ‘decree’ not ‘create’; or one may take the meaning to be ‘create’ with a hidden ‘intend’ [prior to it].

He then explains a contradiction that one might assume, (1:219: DKI):

النكتة في تغيير الأسلوب، حيث قدم في الظاهر ها هنا، وفي (حم السجدة) خلق الأرض وما فيها على خلق السماوات، وعكس في النازعات، ولعل ذلك لأن المقام في الأولين مقام الامتنان، بمقتضاه تقديم ما هو نعمة نظرا إلى المخاطبين.

A point of importance regarding the change of manner, wherein He has mention the creation of it [sky] first, and in [Sūrah] Hā Mīm Sajdah, He has mentioned the creation of the earth and everything upon it before the creation of the sky, while the opposite has been done in [Sūrah] Nāzi’āt. And perhaps this is because the circumstance in which it was mentioned [earth being created first] is when He is reminding us of his blessings, beginning with those blessings which we are accustomed to seeing. [Moreover, the order of listing does not necessarily refer to the ordering in creation].

Moreover, in Sūrah 41, Verse 12, Allah Ta’ālā says:

فقضاهن سبع سماوات في يومين وأوحىٰ في كل سماء أمرها وزينا السماء الدنيا بمصابيح وحفظا ذٰلك تقدير العزيز العليم

And He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps as protection. That is the design of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.

This verse does not ascertain the formation of the sun following the creation of the earth. One may even go as far as to say that this verse does not even make a reference to the creation of the sun. In fact, many exegetes [3] like ibn Jawzī (may Allah have mercy upon him) and ‘Allāmah Ālūsī (may Allah have mercy upon him) have interpreted the word ‘Masābīh’ as stars other than our sun.

May the Almighty continue guiding us and keep us steadfast upon the straight path. Āmeen.

And Allah Ta’ālā Knows Best

Abdullah Teladia

Concurred by: Hanif Yusuf

Posted in MiscelleaneousQur'an & Hadeeth on 28th Dec 2021 by Our Imam | 1016 Views