I read an article today, wherein the writer refers to Quran 7:54 (see below) and mockingly asks the following interesting question, yet seeking to spread doubts about the Quran (Islam):
His Question: “What is the significance of six days in the Qur’an? Without the context, it’s just arbitrary. The Quran offers no explanation.”
“إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ” سورة الاعراف الأية 54.
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days,1 then established Himself on the Throne. He makes the day and night overlap in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars — all subjected by His command. The creation and the command belong to Him ˹alone˺. Blessed is Allah — Lord of all worlds!” Quran chapter 7 (Al-Araf) verse 54
Now, let’s get serious!
To answer his question, I need to explain and compare the following two cosmic calendars:
Carl Sagan's Cosmic Calendar
In 1977, Professor Carl Sagan brilliantly crashed 13.8 billion years of the universe history (time) in to a 12 months. It starts with the Big Bang (January 1st) and ends today (December 31st). Everything else falls in between.
Quran’s Cosmic Calendar
Similarly, Quran crashes the universe history (time) into a 6-days cosmic calendar, and chapter 41 (Fussilat) verse 10 describes the events of day four in more details, as follows:
“وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ مِن فَوْقِهَا وَبَـٰرَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَآ أَقْوَٰتَهَا فِىٓ أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍۢ سَوَآءًۭ لِّلسَّآئِلِينَ” سورة فصلت الأية 10.
“He placed on the earth firm mountains, standing high, showered His blessings upon it, and ordained ˹all˺ its means of sustenance within four Days exactly for all who ask.”
For All Who Ask:
Interestingly, if we compare the Quran’s 6-Day Cosmic Calendar to Carl Sagan's 12-months Cosmic Calendar, we can notice that in both cosmic calendars, planet earth forms after two third of the time, that is on 4th day as per Quran’s 6-days cosmic calendar and the 8th month as per Carl Sagan's 12-months Cosmic Calendar ( see the figure and the link below).
https://visav.phys.uvic.ca/~babul/AstroCourses/P303/BB-slide.htm
The most difficult thing in life is to explain what is clear, as in this case and with this writer. The explanation and significance of the “6 days” mentioned in the Quran are so clear in the following verses of the Quran, chapter 41 (Fussilat) verses 9 to 11, wherein the chronology of the formation of the universe is explained:
"قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِى يَوْمَيْنِ وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُۥٓ أَندَادًۭا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ" 9
“Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “How can you disbelieve in the One Who created the earth in two Days? And how can you set up equals with Him? That is the Lord of all worlds.”
"وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ مِن فَوْقِهَا وَبَـٰرَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَآ أَقْوَٰتَهَا فِىٓ أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍۢ سَوَآءًۭ لِّلسَّآئِلِينَ" 10
“He placed on the earth firm mountains, standing high, showered His blessings upon it, and ordained ˹all˺ its means of sustenance—totaling four Days exactly1—for all who ask.”
"ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَهِىَ دُخَانٌۭ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ٱئْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًۭا قَالَتَآ أَتَيْنَا طَآئِعِينَ" 11
“Then He turned towards the heaven when it was ˹still like˺ smoke, saying to it and to the earth, ‘Submit, willingly or unwillingly.’ They both responded, ‘We submit willingly.”
Based on the above, and in summary, the Qur'anic chronology for the formation of the universe starts with the gradual formation of the planet earth during the first 2 days, followed by the development of the mountains and other features of the planet Earth during the days 3 and 4, and it ends with the formation of the heavens during the days 5 and 6. Simply, this is the explanation and the significance of the “6 days” mentioned in the Quran, for he who claim that there is no explanation!
Interestingly, this Qur'anic chronology of the universe (the Cosmic Calendar) substantially conforms to Carl Sagan’s chronology of the universe. Meaning, in the last 1400 years, science has significantly developed and closed gaps with the Qur'anic concepts. I am sure, Allah willing, science will continue to do so in the next 1400 years and beyond.
I trust the above fully answered the medieval question in hand, that a sincere and educated person could never ask. Before asking such a question, one needs to educate himself about the Elusive Verses of the Quran. In doing so, I need to refer to the following verse of the Quran:
“هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِنْهُ ءَايَـٰتٌۭ مُّحْكَمَـٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَـٰبِهَـٰتٌۭ ۖ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌۭ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَـٰبَهَ مِنْهُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ ٱلْفِتْنَةِ وَٱبْتِغَآءَ تَأْوِيلِهِۦ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلٌّۭ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ” سورة آل عمران الاية 7.
“He is the One Who has revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ the Book, of which some verses are precise — they are the foundation of the Book — while others are elusive. Those with deviant hearts follow the elusive verses seeking ˹to spread˺ doubt through their ˹false˺ interpretations, but none grasps their ˹full˺ meaning except Allah. As for those well-grounded in knowledge, they say, “We believe in this ˹Quran˺ it is all from our Lord.” But none will be mindful ˹of this˺ except people of reason.” Quran Chapter 3 (Al-Imran), verse 7.
Now!
The above verse of the Quran that the writer is mocking, miraculously predicts his deviant behavior by exposing his ill intentions of spreading doubts about Quran.
As for the Quran verse 7:54 that he was mocking, it is one of the elusive verses that only Allah has known its “full” meaning, as mentioned by verse 3:7. Such verses will remain elusive for a purpose, until the time is right and until Allah sees fit to reveal their full meanings, as in the case of verse 7:54.
In fact, and as I explained above, the ‘6-days’ in the verse 7:54 which is bothering the writer, is another elusive, yet miraculous sign, that is recorded in a book by Allah in the seventh century, so that its “full” meaning starts to become known by the efforts of atheist scientists in the 20th century.
Such elusive verses are meant to reiterate the authenticity of the Quran to the future generations, and to prove that Quran can only be the word of the creator of the universe (Allah the almighty). As stated in verse 3:7, only “people of reason” are mindful of such verses, and obviously the writer has willingly decided not to be one of them. That’s sad but fair, as there is no compulsion in Islam!
I Thank the writer for his wonderful question and advise him to maintain his questioning attitude, but with some degree of humbleness!
“قُلْ سِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ بَدَأَ ٱلْخَلْقَ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱللَّهُ يُنشِئُ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ “ سورة العنكبوت الأية 20.
“Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Travel throughout the land and see how He originated the creation, then Allah will bring it into being one more time. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.” Quran chapter 29 (Al-Ankabut) verse 20.
أشهد ان لا اله الا الله و أشهد أن محمد رسول الله
Transliteration: “Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulu-Allah.”
Translation: “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah (there is none worthy of worship but Allah), and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
