We have noted in our earlier rebuttal to a Christian missionary fantasy that A. Yusuf Ali had alluded to the commentaries of the major commentators for his explanation of Qur’?n, 41:10. Unfortunately, Yusuf Ali did not cite the precise quotations of the Commentators that he was referring to. Here, we would like to fill in that gap by citing the relevant commentaries of the Qur’?nic verse in question.
In his commentary, Imam Ibn Kathir explains that Qur’?n, 41:10 talks about events taking place in two days and adds that
They (both) with the previous two days complete four that’s why He says “in four Days”[1]
Al-Qurtubi says in his commentary that
“in four Days” – In completion of four days as one says: I walked from Basra to Baghdad in ten days and to Kufa in fifteen days meaning in completion of fifteen days. This has been said by Ibn-ul-Anbari and others.[2]
Al-Zamakhshari says that
“in four Days” – This is conclusion of the period of creating earth and things which are in it, as if He says all this took place in exactly four days no more and no less.[3]
In Tafsir-un-Nasafi, we read that
“in four Days” – In completion of four days, He means by completion the two days as you say: I walked from Basra to Baghdad in ten days and to Kufa in fifteen days meaning in completion of fifteen days.[4]
Al-Baidhawi notes that
“in four Days” – In completion of four days as you say: I walked from Basra to Baghdad in ten days and to Kufa in fifteen days. Probably, He said this and did not say in two days in order to to connect them with the previous two days. This expression is for (the purpose of) conclusion.[5]
Finally, we quote Imam Ash-Shawkani in his famous Tafsir, “in four Days”:
In completion of four days including the previous two days. This has been stated by Az-Zajjaj and others. Ibn-ul-Anbari says that this is as one says: I walked from Basra to Baghdad in ten days and to Kufa in fifteen days meaning in completion of fifteen days. So, the meaning is that occurrence of creation of earth and what followed it took four days.[6]
Now, we come to a relevant question: what is the reason for saying “in four Days”? Imam Az-Zamakhshari answers as follows:
If you say: Wouldn’t it be better said: ‘in two days’? And what is the benefit of this conclusion? I say: If He says in four days after He have said that earth was created in two days, it is acknowledged that things in it were created in two days. So, the choice between saying in two days and saying in four days becomes equal. But (saying) in four days has a benefit over (saying) in two days; it is the indication that they were exactly four complete days no more and no less. If He said: in two days, while (the term) two days can be given to most of the two days, it would be possible that He meant by the first and the last two days the most of them.[7]
And only God knows best.
All praise is for God, the Lord of the Worlds and Master of the Day of Judgement. God’s wrath is invoked upon those who say “God has a Son!”, for He is free from all the attributes they have ascribed to Him. And since there was never such thing as a “Triune” god, we also reject the petty threats of its worshippers and denounce that the non-existent sterile “Triune” pagan god is a fantasy. And it is to our Rabb alone that we submit in total obedience, even though the disbelievers may dislike it. Am?n! Am?n! Thumma Am?n!
References
[1] Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vo. 7, p. 108
[2] Tafsir-ul-Qurtubi, Vol. 15, p. 290
[3] Az-Zamakhshari, Tafsir-ul-Kashaf, Vol. 4, p. 104
[4] Tafsir-un-Nasafi, Vol. 2, p. 491
[5] Tafsir-ul-Baidawi, Vol. 5, p. 25
[6] Ash-Shawkani, Fath-ul-Qadir, Vol. 4, p. 665
[7] Az-Zamakhshari, op. cit., p. 104
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