The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 889
CH. 41 PT. 24 10. Say: R. 2. 'Do you ḤĀ MĪM AS-SAJDAH disbelieve in Him Who created قُلْ أَبِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ really الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْن وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ the earth in two days? And do اَنْدَادًا ذَلِكَ رَبُّ الْعَلَمِينَ you set up equals to Him?' That is the Lord of the worlds. 3562 وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا وَبَرَكَ He placed therein firm. 11 mountains rising above its فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِي أَرْبَعَةِ surface, and blessed it with b أَيَّامٍ سَوَاءَ لِلسَّابِلِينَ abundance, and provided therein its foods in proper measure in four days-alike for all seekers. 3563 derived from 13:4; 15:20; 16:16; 77:28. (manna). They say i. e. he weakened or tired out the man. means, he cut off or tore means, he من الشيء. off the rope diminished the thing. means, he did a favour to him; therefore means, obliged, diminished, broken or cut off; weak; strong, etc. (Aqrab). 3562. Commentary: The word (of which the dual is C) properly means, time absolutely (see 1:4; 10:4). It is in this sense that the word has been used in this and the next verse. It is not possible to surmise the length of these "two days. " They may have extended over thousands of years. Even in the Quran (day) has been spoken of as equal to a thousand years (22:48) or even equal to fifty thousand years (70:5). So (day) in this and the next verse does not denote the day determined by the rising and setting of the sun. The word denotes time as absolutely, or may signify an indefinite period or stage in the development of a thing. The making of the earth in two days may signify the two stages through which the earth passed from a formless matter into a gradually evolved form after it had cooled down and become condensed. 3563. Important Words: قوت its foods) is the plural of) اقواتها (qut) which is derived from which means, he fed, nourished or sustained or fed with what would sustain the body. means, he had power or ability to do the thing. means, he guarded or protected him. means, provision, food, sustenance, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: 2803 The "two days" or stages mentioned in the previous verse through which the earth had to pass before it assumed its present form are included