HISTORY OF TABARI
VOLUME 1
From the Creation to the Flood
Translator's Foreword
According to al-Muthanna b. Ibrahim-'Abdallah
b. Salih [310. Presumably, Abu Silih 'Abdallah b .
Silih , the secretary of al-Layth, who was born in 137 or 139/754-56 and died
in 22.2 or 223/836-38 . See TB, IX, 478-91; Tahdhib, V, 256-61; Horst , 293, n.
3] -Abii Ma'shar [311. The author of a work on
maghazi (" raids "), Abu Ma'shar Najih b. 'Abd alRahmin died in
170/787. See TB, XIII, 457-62; Tahdhib, X, 419-22; 612 ,1, 140, s. v. Abu
Ma'shar; Sezgin, GAS, 1, 191 f. Tabari still knew his son Muhammad who died,
ninety- nine years old, in 244 or 247/858-62 . See Tafsir, II, 182 (ad Qur.
2:204); TB, III, 326 f.; Tahdhib, IX, 487 f]-Said b. Abi Sa'id [312. Said b. Abi Sa'id al-Maqburi appears to have died in
the 1208/740-44. See Tahdhib, IV, 38-40] -'Abdallah b. Salam: God began
the creation by creating the earth on Sunday and Monday. [313. For the complete text of the tradition, see text below,
I, 44, and Tafsir, 1, 153 (ad Qur. 2:29) ].
According to Ibn Humayd- Jarir (b. 'Abd al -I
iamid)-alA'mash-Abu Salih-Kab: God began with the creation of the heavens and
the earth on Sunday and Monday.
According to Muhammad b. Abi Mansur al-Amuli [314.Unidentifled] -'Ali b. al-Haytham [315. None of the 'Ali b. a1-Haytham listed in TB, XII, 118
f. and Tahdhib, VII, 394, can be identified as the one meant here ].
-al-Musayyab b. Sharik [316. Al-Musayyab b. Sharik died
during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid, in 185 or 186/801-2. See TB, XIII,
137-41; Ibn Hajar, Lisdn, VI, 38 f] -Abu Rawg [317.
For Abu Rawq 'Atiyyah b. al-Harith, see Tahdhib, VII, 224.] -alDahhak,
commenting on God's word: "It is He Who created the heavens and the earth
in six days [318. Qur. 11:7] -of the other world
where the extent of each day is a thousand years. He began the creation on
Sunday.
According to al-Muthanna-al-Hajiaj [319. This is al-Hajjaj b. (al-)Minhil who died in 216 or
217/831-32. See Tahdhib, II, 206 f . He occurs, for instance , in Tafsir, I,
168, 1. 29 , and XIV, 62, 11. 15 f. (ad Qur. 2:30 and 16:15 j] -Abu
'Awanah [320. Abu 'Awinah al-Waddih died in 176/792.
See Tahdhib, XI,116-20; Bukhari, Ta'rikh, IV, 2, 181.] -Abu Bishr [321. Abu Bishr la'far b . Iyas died in the 120s/740-48. See
Tahdhib, 11, 83 f.; Bukhari, Ta'rikh, I, 2, 186]-Mujahid: He began the
creation on Sunday.
Others said : The day on which God began with
the creation is Saturday.
Those who said this
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah b.
al-Fadl-Muhammad b. Ishaq: The people of the Torah say: God began the creation
on Sunday, while the people of the Gospel say: God began the creation on
Monday. We Muslims say, in accordance with what has come down to us from the
Messenger of God: God began the creation on Saturday.
The statements of each of these two groups-the
one saying that God began the creation on Sunday, and the other that God began the
creation on Saturday-have been transmitted on the authority of the Messenger of
God. We have mentioned both reports before but shall repeat here some of the proofs
for the soundness of the statements made by each of the two groups.
The report on the Prophet's authority
verifying the statement that the beginning of creation was on Sunday is what we
were told by Hannad b. al-Sari, who also said that he read all the hadith [322. See text above, I, i9, n. 159.] -Abu Bakr b.
'Ayyash-Abu Sad al-Baqqal-'Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas:
The Jews came to the Prophet and asked him
about the creation of the heavens and the earth. He replied: God created the
earth on Sunday and Monday.
The report on the Prophet's authority
verifying the statement that the beginning of God's creation was on Saturday,
is what I was told by al-Qasim b. Bishr b. Ma'ruf and al-Husayn b. 'Ali
al-Suda'i-Hajjaj-Ibn Jurayj-Isma'il b. Umayyah-Ayyub b. Khalid-'Abdallah b.
Rafi', the mawla of Umm Salamah-Abu Hurayrah: The Messenger of God took me by
the hand and said: God created the soil on Saturday. He created the mountains
on Sunday. [323. See text above, 1, 20]
In my opinion, the statement here most likely
to be correct is: The day on which God began the creation of the heavens and
the earth is Sunday, because the early Muslim scholars agree on it.
In his statement, Ibn Ishaq argued that it is
as (he states, namely, that God began the creation on Saturday), on the basis
of the assumption that God finished all His creation on Friday. It is the seventh
day; on it, He sat straight on the Throne, and He made this day a festival for
the Muslims. But as reported by us from him, Ibn Ishaq's proof by which, he
assumed, he argued for the soundness of his statement, proves precisely that he
made a mistake here. That is because God informed His servants in more than one
passage of His revelation [324. The Cairo edition reads
: the unambiguous parts of His revelation.] that He created the heavens and
the earth and what is between them in six days. He says: "It is God Who
created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days. Then He
sat straight on the Throne. You have no friend or intercessor apart from Him.
Will you not be mindful? [325. Qur. 32:4] God
also says: "Say: Do you really not believe in the One Who created the
earth in two days, and set up others like him? That is the Lord of the worlds.
He made in it firmly anchored (mountains) above it and blessed it and decreed
that it contain the amount of food it provides, (all) in four days, equally for
those asking. Then He stretched out straight toward heaven, which was smoke,
and said to it and to the earth: Come willingly or unwillingly! They said : We
come willingly. He fashioned (heaven into) seven heavens in two days and
revealed (in every heaven its command [326. See above, n. 199. The text enclosed in parentheses is
supplied in the Cairo edition.] We adorned the lower heaven with lamps ,
and for guarding. This is the decree of the One Mighty and Knowing.) [327. Qur. 41:9-12]
There is no difference of opinion among all
the scholars that the two days mentioned in God's word, "He fashioned it
(into) seven heavens in two days," are included in the six days mentioned
by Him before. Now then, God created the heavens and the earths and what is in
them in six days. In addition, the reports on the authority of the Messenger of
God that Adam was created last in God's creation and that He created him on
Friday, clearly support each other. The conclusion is that Friday, on which God
finished His creation, is included in the six days in which, God informs (us),
He created His creation, for, if it were not included in the six days, He would
have created His creation in seven days, and not in six . This is contrary to
what is found in the divine revelation. Thus, since the matter is as we have
described it, it is clear that the first day on which God began the creation of
the heavens and the earth and what is in them was Sunday, since the last day
was Friday. This makes six days as our Lord says.
The reports coming down from the Messenger of
God and his companions that the creation was finished on Friday will be
mentioned by us in their proper places, if God wills.
What God
Created on Each of the Six Days on Which, as He Mentions in His Book, He
Created the Heavens and the Earth and What Is between Them
The early Muslim scholars differed in this
respect. Some of them say, as I was told by al-Muthanna b. Ibrahim-Abdallah b.
SalihAbu Ma'shar-Sa'id b. Abi Said-'Abdallah b. Salim: God began with the
creation on Sunday. He created the earths on Sunday and Monday. He created food
and the firmly anchored (mountains) on Tuesday and Wednesday. He created the
heavens on Thursday and Friday, and He finished in the last hour of Friday, in
which He created Adam in haste [328. Cf. Qur. 21:37.
See below, n. 607.] That is the hour in which the Hour will come. [329. See text above, I, 40, and Tafsr, I,153 (ad Qur. 2:29]
According to Musa b. Harun-Amr b.
Hammad-Asbat-alSuddi-Abu Malik and Abu Salih-Ibn `Abbas. Also (al-Suddi)-Murrah
al-Hamdani-Ibn Mas'ud and some ( other) companions of the Prophet: He-meaning our
Lord-made seven earths in two days, Sunday and Monday. He made on them
"firmly anchored (mountains ), lest (the earth) shake you up." [330. Qur. 16:15 and 31:10.] He created the mountains
on the earth and the food to provide for its inhabitants and its trees and
whatever is required for it, on two days, Tuesday and Wednesday. "Then He
stretched out straight toward heaven, which was smoke, [331.
Qur. 41:11] and made it into one heaven . Then He split (this one
heaven) up into seven heavens on two days, Thursday and Friday.
According to Tamim b. al-Muntasir-Ishaq (b.
Yusuf)-Sharik (b. 'Abdallah al-Nakha'i)-Ghalib b. Ghallab-'Ata' b. Abi Rabah-Ibn
`Abbas: God created the earth on two days, Sunday and Monday.
According to these statements, the earth was
created before heaven, because, in their opinion, it was created on Sunday and Monday.
Others said: God created the earth with the
food it provides before heaven, without spreading it out. "Then He
stretched out straight toward heaven and fashioned it into seven heavens."
[332. Qur. 2:29. The use of the same word
"fashioned " for sawwahunna here and qadahunna in Our. 41:12 ( above,
n. 327, etc.) appears justified.] Thereafter, He spread out the earth.
Those who said this
According to 'Ali b. Dawud [333.'Ali b. Dawud died in or before 272/885( 61. See TB, XI,
424 f.; Tahdhib, VII, 317. In Tafsir, I, 153 (ad Qur. 2:29), al - Muthanna
takes his place in the isnad, but 'All b. Diwud appears in Tafsir, XXX, 29 (ad
Qur. 79:29-32)] -Abu Salih (Abdallah b. Salih)- Mu'awiyah (b. Salih)--`Ali
b. Abi Talhah [334. According to Khalifah, Tabaqat,
312, 'Ali b. Abi Talhah died in 120/737[8].According to the lost History of
Him8 by Abu Bakr Abroad b. Muhammad b. 'Isa (see Rosenthal , Muslim Historiograph
2, 467), he died in 143 / 760111 . Tahdhib, VII, 339-41, prefers the latter
date, but a14o refers to Khalifah. Bukhari, Ta'rikh, 111,2, 281 f., states that
he visited the caliph Abal al-'Abbas ( al-Saffah), who died in 754. A plausible
date for Ibn Abi Talhah's death would seemingly be ca . 750, if one also takes
into account the surrounding authorities in the chain of transmitters. See also
Horst , 293, n. 5.] Ibn 'Abbas, commenting on God's word when He
mentioned the creation of the earth before heaven and then mentioned heaven
before earth: (It is explained by the fact that) He created the earth with the food
it provides before heaven, without spreading it out. "Then He stretched
out straight toward heaven and fashioned it into seven heavens ." [335. Qur. 2:29.] Thereafter, He spread out the earth.
This is (meant by) God's word: "And it was the earth that He spread out
thereafter. " [336. Qur. 79:30. For the quotations
in Tafsir, see above, n. 333]
According to Muhammad b. Sa'd [337. As indicated in E12 , III, 922b , s. v. Ibn Sa ' d,
with reference to Horst, 294, this is not the author of the Tabaqat . It is
Muhammad b. Said b . Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. 'Atiyyah b. Sad b. Junadah
al-'Awfi, who died in 276/889 (TB, V, 322 f.). His father Sad b. Muhammad is
listed in TB, IX, 126 . Sa'd's paternal uncle al-Husayn b . al-Iiasan died in
201 or 202 / 816-18 (TB, VIII, 29-32) . Al-Husayn's father al-Hasan b. 'Atiyyah
died in 181 /797 (Tahdhib, II, 294), and 'Atiyyah b. Sad died in 111 / 729[30]
(Tahdhib, VII, 224-26). A family isnad as complete as this is most remarkable.]
-his father-his paternal uncle-his father-his father-Ibn 'Abbas, commenting on:
"And it was the earth that He spread out thereafter. He brought forth from
it its water and its pasture , and the mountains He anchored firmly." [338. Qur. 79:30-32] It means that He created the
heavens and the earth. When He had finished with heaven before creating food of
the earth, He spread the food on it after creating heaven. And He firmly
anchored the mountains. This is meant by "spreading it out." The food
and the plants of the earth used to be good only on the night and the day. [339, Only when the heaven and the sun and the moon were in
existence could the food - producing plants really prosper.] This is
(meant by) God's word: "And it was the earth that He spread out
thereafter." Have you not heard that He continues: "He brought forth
from it its water and its pasture ? [340. Qur. 79:30 f.
See Tafsir, XXX, 29.]
Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari) says:
Regarding this, the correct statement, in our opinion, is the one of those who
said : God created the earth on Sunday. He created the heaven on Thursday, and
He created the stars and the sun and the moon on Friday. (We consider it
correct) because of the soundness of the report mentioned by us earlier on the
authority of Ibn 'Abbas from the Messenger of God. The tradition transmitted to
us on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas is not impossible . It says that God created
the earth but did not spread it out. Then He created the heavens "and
fashioned them ( into seven heavens ),” [341. Qur.
2:29.] and thereafter " spread out " the earth. "He then
brought forth from it its water and its pasture, and the mountains He anchored
firmly." Indeed, in my opinion this is the correct statement . That is
because the meaning of "spreading out" is different from that of
"creating." God says: "Are you more difficult to create than the
heaven He constructed? He raised high its roof and fashioned it. He darkened
its night and brought forth its morning. And it was the earth He spread out
thereafter. He brought forth from it its water and its pasture , and the
mountains He anchored firmly." [342. Qur.
79:27-32]
Someone might say: You realize that a number
of interpreters have considered God's word: "And it was the earth that He
spread out thereafter, " to
mean: "lie spread out simultaneously"
(attributing to the preposition ba'da " after " the meaning of ma'a
"together ( simultaneous with"). Now, what is your evidence for the
soundness of your statement that we have here the meaning of "after,"
the opposite of "before"? The reply would be: The meaning of "
after " generally known in Arab speech , as we have said, is that of the
opposite of "before," and not "simultaneous with." Now,
word meanings considered applicable are those that are preponderant and
generally known among speakers ( of a language), and no others are. [343. See Tafsir, XXX, 30 (ad Qur. 79:30). It is one of
Tabari 's exegetical principles that , unless there are reasons to the contrary,
the most common and best-known meanings of words as used by the Arabs are
applicable to the speech of God. See, for instance , Tafsir, XII, 25 (ad Qur.
11:40) . See also text below, I, 56.]
It has been said that God
created the Ancient House (the Ka'bah) upon the water on four pillars. He did
this two thousand years before He created this world, and the earth was then
spread out underneath it.
Those who said this
According to In Ilumayd-Ya'qub al-Qummi [344.Ya'qub b. 'Abdallah al-Qummi died in 174/790-91. See
Tahdhib, XI, 390 f.; Bukhari, Ta'rikh, N, 2, 391; Abu Nu'aym, Akhbar Isbahan,
II, 351 f. Ya'qub is mentioned as one of Ibn Humayd's authorities in TB, II,
259,1. 3'] -Ja'far [345. Ja'far b. Abi al -
Mughirah al-Qummi is listed Tahdib, II, 108] -`Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas: The
House was founded upon the water on four pillars two thousand years before
(God) created this world. The earth was then spread out underneath the House. [346. For this and the following tradition, see Tafsir, XXX,
29 (ad Qur. 79:30-32). Cf. also Tafsir, N, 7 (ad Qur. 3:96).] According
to Ibn Humayd-Mihran [347. For Abu 'Abdallah Mihran b.
Abi 'Umar al-'Attar al-Razi, see Tahdhib, X, 327; Bukhari, Ta'rikh, N, 1, 429;
Horst, 296, n. 12.] -Sufyan (al-Thawri)-alA'mash-Bukayr b.
al-Akhnas [348. See Tahdhib, 1, 489 f.]
-Mujahid-'Abdallah b. 'Umar: God created the House two thousand years before
the earth, and from it, the earth was spread out.
If this is so, the earth was created before
the heavens were created, and the earth "spread out"--d-h-w in the
sense of b-s-t -with its food, its pastures, and its plants after the creation
of the heavens, as mentioned by us on the authority of In 'Abbas.
According to In Humayd-Mihran-Abu Sinan [349. Abu Sinan has the gentilic al-Shaybani and is equated
in the index of Tabari with Abu Sinan Dirar b . Murrah al- Shaybani, who died
in 132/749[50]. See Tahdhib, N, 457; Khalifah, Tabagdt, 165.]–Abu Bakr [350. The available data seem consistent with the possible
equation of this person with Abu Bakr b . 'Abdallah, who was a transmitter of
'Ikrimah and Shahr b. Iiawshab . See text below, 1, 1 oo6, and 1 , 245 f. Abu
Bakr b . 'Abdallih could possibly be the best-known bearer of the name , Abu
Bakr b . 'Abdallih b. Abi Maryam, who died in 156/773. See Bukhari, Kuna, 9,
no. 55, Tahdhib, X11, 28-30, who has 256. He may, however, be just another
unidentified individual.] : The Jews came to the Prophet and said:
Muhammad, inform us about the creation created by God in these six days! The Prophet
replied: He created the earth on Sunday and Monday. He created the mountains on
Tuesday. He created the cities, food, the rivers, and the cultivated and barren
land on Wednesday. He created the heavens and the angels on Thursday continuing
to the last three hours of Friday. In the first of these three hours, He
created the terms (of human life), in the second, harm, and in the third, Adam.
The Jews said: You speak the truth, if you finish (the statement ). The Prophet
realized what they had in mind. He got angry, and God revealed: "And fatigue
did not touch Us. So be patient with what they say. [351.
Qur. 50:38 f. See also text above, I, 19 If.]
Someone might say: If it is as you have
described, namely, that God created the earth before heaven, then what is the
meaning of the statement of Ibn 'Abbas told all of you by Wasil b. 'Abd al-A'la
al-Asadi-Muhammad b. Fudayl-al-A'mash-Abu Zabyan-Ibn 'Abbas: The first thing
created by God is the Pen. God then said to it: Write!, whereupon the Pen asked:
What shall I write, my lord? God replied: Write what is predestined! He
continued. And the Pen proceeded to (write) whatever is predestined and going
to be to the Coming of the Hour. God then lifted up the water vapor and split
the heavens off from it. Then God created the fish (nun), and the earth was
spread out upon its back. The fish became agitated,with the result that the
earth was shaken up. It was steadied by means of the mountains, for they indeed
proudly (tower) over the earth.[ 352. For the first
half of this tradition , see text above, 1, 30, and n . 241, referring to
Tafsir XXIX, to (ad Qur. 68:1-3), where this tradition as well as the following
isnad occurs].
I was told about the same by
Wasil-Waki'-al-A'mash-Abu Zabyan-Ibn 'Abbas
According to Ibn al-Muthanna-Ibn Abi
'Adi-Shu'bahSulayman (al-A'mash ?)-Abu Zabyan-Ibn 'Abbas: The first (thing)
created by God is the Pen. It proceeded to (write) whatever is going to be.
(God) then lifted up the water vapor, and the heavens were created from it.
Then He created the fish, and the earth was spread out on its back. The fish
moved, with the result that the earth was shaken up. It was steadied by means
of the mountains, for the mountains indeed proudly (tower) over the earth. So he
said, and he recited: "Nun. By the Pen and what they write." [353. Qur. 68:1; Tafsir, XXIX, 9. See also text above, 1, 30
f.]
I was told the same by Tamim b.
al-Muntasir-Ishaq (b. Yusuf)-Sharik (b.'Abdallah al-Nakha'i)-al-A'mash-Abu
Zabyan or Mujahid [354. For "or " the Leiden
edition has "on the authority of," which may not be impossible, but
the evidence seems to be against it. See text above, I, 31, and Tafsir, XXIX,
9] -Ibn 'Abbas, with the exception, however, that he said: And the
heavens were split off from it (instead of: were created).
According to Ibn Bashshar-Yahya [355. Yahya b . Said b. Farrukh al-Qattan was born at the
beginning of the year 12o/Dec. 737-Jan.738. He died in 198 /313. See TB, XIV,
135-44; Tahdhib, XI, 216-20.] -Sufyan-Sulayman (alA'mash ?)-Abu Zabyan-Ibn
'Abbas: The first (thing) created byGod is the Pen. God said: Write!, whereupon
the Pen asked: What shall I write? God replied: Write what is predestined! He
continued. And (the Pen) proceeded to (write) whatever is predestined and going
to be from that day on to the Coming of the Hour. Then God created the fish. He
lifted up the water vapor, and heaven was split off from it, and the earth was
spread out upon the back of the fish. The fish became agitated, and as a
result, the earth was shaken up. It was steadied by means of the mountains, he continued,
for they proudly (tower) over the the earth.
According to Ibn Humayd-Jarir (b. 'Abd
al-Hamid)-'Ata' b. al-Sa'ib-Abu al-DOA Muslim b. Subayh-Ibn 'Abbas: The first thing
created by God is the Pen. God said to it: Write!, and it wrote whatever is
going to be until the Coming of the Hour. Then God created the fish upon the
water. Then he heaped up the earth upon it . [. 356.
See text above, 1, 31]
This reportedly is a sound tradition as
transmitted on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas and on the authority of others in
the sense commented upon and explained and does not contradict anything transmitted
by us from him on this subject.
Should someone [357.
Lit.," he," possibly referring to a particular individual (?!.] ask:
What comment on his authority and that of others proves the soundness of what
you have transmitted to us in this sense on his authority? he should be
referred to what I have been told by Musa b. Harun al-Hamdani and others-Amr b.
Hammad-Asbat b. Nasr-al-Suddi-Abu Malik and Abu SalihIbn 'Abbas. Also (al-Suddi)-Murrah
al-Hamdani-Abdallah b. Masud and some (other) companions of the Messenger of
God (commenting on): "He is the One Who created for you all that is on
earth. Then He stretched out straight toward the heaven and fashioned it into
seven heavens." [358. Qur. 2:29] God's
Throne was upon the water. He had not created anything except what He created
before the water. [359. See text above, I, 36.]
When He wanted to create the creation, He brought forth smoke from the water.
The smoke rose above the water and hovered loftily over it. He therefore called
it "heaven”. [360. The verb same means "to
hover loftily," and the noun sama' means "heaven." If there is
an etymological connection between them, it probably was in the opposite
direction, that is, the verb was derived from the noun] Then He dried out the water, and thus made it
one earth. He split it and made it into seven earths on Sunday and Monday. He
created the earth upon a (big) fish (hut), that being the fish ( nun) mentioned
by God in the Qur'an: "Nun. By the Pen." [361.
Qur. 68:1. Hut appears in the Qur'an also in connection with Jonah. There is no
discernible distinction in meaning between but and nun, the latter being the
ancient Semitic word..] The fish was in the water. The water was upon the
back of a (small ) rock. The rock was upon the back of an angel . The angel was
upon a (big) rock. The (big) rock-the one mentioned by Luqman [362. See Qur. 31:16 and Tafsir, XXI, 46, on this verse.] -was
in the wind, neither in heaven nor on earth. The fish moved and became agitated
. As a result, the earth quaked, whereupon He firmly, anchored the mountains on
it, and it was stable. The mountains proudly (tower) over the earth. This is
stated in God's word that He made for the earth "firmly anchored
(mountains), lest it shake you up." [363. Qur.
16:15 . For the tradition in Tafsir, see above , n. 281]
Abu Ja'far (al -Tabari) says: The statement
of those mentioned by me that God brought forth smoke from the water when He wanted
to create the heavens and earth; that the smoke hovered loftily over it, by
which is meant that it was high over the water, since everything that is high
above another thing is its "heaven"; that He then dried out the water
and made it one earth, indicates that God created heaven unfashioned before the
earth and then created the earth. If it is as they say, it is not impossible
that God stirred up smoke from the water and raised it high over the water, so
that it became a heaven for it. Then He dried out the water, and the smoke that
hovered loftily over it became an earth. But God did not spread it out and did
not decree that it contain the food it provides, nor did He bring forth from it
its water and its pasture, until He stretched out straight toward the heaven
which was the smoke stirring from the water and rising high above it, and He
fashioned it into seven heavens . Then He spread out the earth which was water
and dried the water out. Then He split the earth , making it into seven earths
, and decreed that it contain the amount of food it provides and "brought
forth from it its water and its pasture, and the mountains He anchored firmly
," as God says”. [364. Qur. 79:31 f]. Thus
, everything transmitted by us concerning this subject on the authority of Ibn
' Abbas has a sound meaning.
Monday: We have mentioned before the
difference of opinion among scholars as to what He created on it and what has
been transmitted concerning the subject on the authority of the Messenger of
God. [365. The reference may be to text above, 1, 47]
What God created on Tuesday and Wednesday: We
have also mentioned some of the information that has been transmitted concerning
this subject . Here we shall mention some information not mentioned by us
before . In our opinion, the sound report in this connection is what I was told
by Musa b. Harun-'Amr b . Hammad-Asbat-al-Suddi-Abu Malik and Abu Salih Ibn
'Abbas . Also (al-Suddi)-Murrah al-Hamdani-'Abdallah b. Mas'ud and some ( other
) companions of the Messenger of God: God created the mountains on it-meaning
the earth-and the food it provides for its inhabitants and its trees and
whatever else is required for it on two days , Tuesday and Wednesday. That is when
God says: " Say: Do you really not believe in the One Who created the
earth in two days , and set up others like Him ? That is the Lord of the worlds
. He made in it firmly anchored ( mountains) above it and blessed it and decreed
that it contain the amount of food it provides , all in four days, equally for
those asking"-that is, those who ask (will find that) it is so [366. See above , n. 163] "Then He stretched out
straight toward heaven , which was smoke [367. Qur.
41:9-11.] -that smoke came from the water 's breathing-and made it into
one heaven. Then He split ( this one
heaven ) up into seven heavens on two days, Thursday and Friday.
According to al-Muthanna-Abu Salih-Abu Ma
'shar-Sa'id b. Abi Said-'Abdallah b. Salim : God created food and the firmly anchored
( mountains ) on Tuesday and Wednesday. [368. See text
above, 1, 44.]
According to Tamim b . al-Muntasir-Ishaq ( b.
Yusuf) –Sharik (b. 'Abdallah al - Nakha 'i)-Ghalib b. Ghallab - 'Ata' b. Abi Rabah-Ibn
'Abbas: God created the mountains on Tuesday. That is why people say : It is a
heavy day. [369. See Tafsir, XXIV, 61, 11. 26 f. dad
Qur. 41:6 ) , and above , n. 174. " Heavy" may not be intended to
refer to the great weight of mountains but rather to the evil character of
Tuesday]
Abu Ja 'far (al-Tabari ) says : In our
opinion , the sound statement concerning this subject is the tradition
transmitted by us on the authority of the Prophet who said : God created the
mountains and the uses they possess on Tuesday. On Wednesday, He created trees,
water, cities, and the cultivated and barren land. We were told this by Hannad
-Abu Bakr b . ' Ayyash-Abu Sa' d al-Baggal-`Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas-the Prophet. [370. See text above, I, ig.]
It has been transmitted on the authority of
the Prophet that God created the mountains on Sunday. He created the trees on
Monday. He created evil on Tuesday. He created the light on Wednesday. I was
told this by al - Qasim b. Bishr b. Ma'ruf and al-Husayn b. 'Ali al-Suda '
i-Hajjaj -Ibn Surayj-Ismail b. Umayyah-Ayyub b. Khalid- Abdallah b. Rafi ', the
mawla of Umm Salamah-Abu Hurayrah-the Prophet. [371.
See text above, 1, 20]
The first report [372.
That is, the one of Musa b. Harlin; see text above, 1, 51.] is sounder
with respect to the source situation (makhrajan
) and more likely to be true , because it is what most of the early (
scholars) say.
Thursday : He created on it the heavens ,
which were compressed but then were split, [373. Cf.
Qur. 21:30] as I was told by Musa b . Harun-'Amr b .
Hammad-Asbat-al-Suddi-Abu Malik and Abu SalihIbn 'Abbas . Also (al- Suddi)-Murrah
al-Hamdani-'Abdallah b. Masud and some ( other ) companions of the Prophet (
commenting on ): " Then He stretched out straight toward heaven, which was
smoke [374. Qur. 41:11.] -that smoke came from
the water ' s breathing and made it into
one heaven . Then He split ( this one heaven) into seven heavens on two days ,
Thursday and Friday.
Friday-yawm
al-jum'ah -is thus called because on it, God put together (j-m-) the creation
of the heavens and the earth and "revealed in every heaven its
command." [375. Qur. 41:12, see above , n. 199].
For the etymology of "Friday" involved here, see text below, I,
113-15 . Cf. also Mas'udi, Muruj, I, 48.] He continued: In every heaven, He
created its (special) angels as well as its (special) oceans, the mountains
with hail, [376. Cf. Qur. 24:43. ] and what
(man) does not know. [377. Cf. Qur. 96:5. ] He
then adorned the lower heaven with the stars and made them an ornament and
guard to guard against the Satans.[ 378. Cf. Qur. 37: 6
f. and 41:12.] When He completed creating whatever He pleased, He sat
straight on the Throne. That is when He says: "He created the heavens and
the earth in six days, " [379. Qur. 11:7.] and:
"The two were compressed, and We split them apart." [380. Qur. 21:30]
According to al-Muthanna-Abu Salih ('Abdallah
b. Silih) -Abu Ma'shar-Sa'id b. Abi Said-'Abdallah b. Salim: God created the
heavens on Thursday and Friday, and He finished in the last hour of Friday, in
which He created Adam in haste. This is the hour in which the Hour will come. [381. See text above, I, 44.]
According to Tamim b. al-Muntasir-Ishaq (b.
Yusuf)-Sharik (b. 'Abdallih al-Nakha'i)-Ghalib b. Ghallab-'Ata' b. Abi Rabih-Ibn
'Abbas: God created the places for rivers and trees on Wednesday. He created
the birds, the wild animals, reptiles, and beasts of prey on Thursday, and He
created man on Friday. He finished creating everything on Friday.
In our opinion, the sound view is represented
by the statement of those mentioned by us that God created the heavens, the
angels, and Adam on Thursday and Friday. That is because of the report told us
by Hannad b. al-Sari, who also said that he read all of the hadith [382. See above,n. 159] -Abu Bakr b. 'Ayyash-Abu Said
(!) al-Baqqal-`Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas-the Prophet: On Thursday He created heaven.
On Friday He created the stars, the sun, the moon, and the angels, until three
hours remained of it. In the first of these three hours, He created the terms
(of human life), who would live and who would die. In the second, He cast harm
upon everything that is useful for mankind. And in the third, He (created) Adam
and had him dwell in Paradise. He commanded Iblis to prostrate himself (before
Adam a.s), and He drove Adam out of Paradise at the end of the hour. [383. See text above, I, t9 f.]
According to al-Qasim b. Bishr and al-Husayn
b. All al-Suda'i Hajjaj-Ibn Jurayj-Isma 'il b. Umayyah-Ayyub b.
Khalid-'Abdallah b. Rafi', the mawla of Umm Salamah-Abu Hurayrah: The Messenger
of God took me by the hand and said: He scattered on it-meaning the earth-the
animals on Thursday, and He created Adam a.s after (the time of) the afternoon
prayer of Friday as the last of His creatures in the last hour of Friday, in
the time between the afternoon prayer and night (fall). [384. See text above, 1, 20.]
Now then, God created the creation in six
days, from the beginning of the creation of the heavens and the earth to the
time He finished creating all creatures. Each day of the six in which He created
them corresponds to a thousand of the years of this world. Between His
beginning His creation of (all) that and the creation of the Pen, which He
commanded to write whatever is going to be to the Coming of the Hour, there are
a thousand years-one of the days of the other world, each of which corresponds
to a thousand years of this world. The conclusion is that the time elapsed from
when our Lord first began creating His creatures to when He finished the last
of them is seven thousand years, give, if God wills, or take a little. That is
according to the traditions and reports transmitted by us which we have mentioned.
[385. See text above, I, 8 ff] We have omitted many
of them, because we do not like the book to become too long bymentioning (all
this information).
If this is so, and if it is sound that, as
proved by us earlier with the help of evidential statements, there is a
duration of seven thousand years, give or take a little, from (the time) when
our Lord finished His creation of all His creatures to the moment of the
annihilation of all of them, the conclusion must be drawn that the time elapsed
from when God first created His creation to the Coming of the Hour and the
annihilation of the entire world extends over fourteen thousand of the years of
this world, or fourteen of the days of the other world . Seven of these
days-that is, seven thousand of the years of this world -represent the time
elapsed from when God first began creating His first creatures to when He
finished the creation of the last of them -namely, Adam a.s, the father of
mankind . The other seven days-that is , seven thousand of the years of this
world -represent the period from when God finished the creation of His last
creature -that is, Adam-to the annihilation of all His creatures and the Coming
of the Hour and the return of everything to the state in which it was before
there was anyone except the Eternal One, the Creator, Whose "are the
creation and the command ," [386. Qur. 7:54.]
Who was before everything, and there was nothing before Him, and Who will be
after everything, and nothing will remain except His noble face.
Someone might say : What proof do you havt
for stating thateach of the six days in which God created His creation
corresponds to a thousand of the years of this world, and none ( of those days)
is like the days of the inhabitants of this world commonly known among them (as
"days") ? God merely says: "The One Who created the heavens and
the earth and what is between them in six days . " [387. Qur. 25:59] He gave us no information that it is as you say .
Rather, He informed us that He created that in six days, and the days commonly
known ( as "days ") among those addressed here are the days that
begin with sunrise and last until sunset . You also say that whatever God says
in addressing His servants in His revelation is meant to be understood according
to its most common and preponderant meaning, but now you propose to understand
the information given by God in His Book concerning the creation of the heavens
and the earth and what is between them in six days according to a meaning of
"day " that is not commonly known.
When God wants to bring something into being,
His command is completely effective , and thus it cannot be said that He
created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days whose
measure is six thousand of the years of this world. When He wants something to
be , He commands it to be by just saying: "Be! And it is . " [388. Qur.2:117, etc.] This is as our Lord says :
" And Our command is but one [389. The feminine
wahidah (" one") has no explicit referent , but it seems fairly
certain that the referent is intended to be lamhah (" glance ") in
the singular, anticipating the following collective lamh. Thus, it means : ( as
quick ) as a single glance of the eye. Tafsir, XXVII, 66 (ad Qur. 5450 )
explains: "a single irrefutable utterance (qawlah) as quick and immediate
( as a glance of the eye)." Among the modern translators of the Qur'an ,
A. J. Arberry follows T abari and translates "one word." R. Paret has
" one action," and R. Bell offers the preferable "one
flash."] like a glance of the eye." [390.
Qur. 54:50.]
The
reply would be: Earlier in this book of ours we said that with respect to most
of what we set down in it, we rely upon the traditions and reports on the authority
of our Prophet and that of the righteous early Muslims before us, and we do not
use reason and thinking for producing (the book), for most of its contents is information
about past matters and events that are going to be. Knowledge of this sort
cannot be produced and obtained by the use of reason. [391.
See text above , 1, 6 if.]
Should he ask whether there is proof from
reported information (khabar) for the soundness of (the equation of
"day" with a thousand years), the answer would be: It is something
that according to our knowledge has not been contradicted by any leading
religious authority.
Should he ask whether there is information
transmitted on the authority of one of the leading scholars, the answer would
be: Knowledge of it among early Muslim scholars is too common to require
transmission attributed to one individual among them personally. It has been
transmitted on the authority of a number of them mentioned personally by name.
If he then asks to mention some of them, the answer is:
According to Ibn Humayd-Hakkam [392. Abu 'Abd al- Rahman Hakkam b . Salm al - Rizi died after
190/805(61 in Mecca. See TB, VIII, 281 f.; Tahdhib, II, 422, f.; Horst, 299, n.
7] -'Anbasah [393. According to Tahdhib, VIII,
155, he was 'Anbasah b. Said b . al-Durays.] –Simak [394. Simak b. Harb died in 123/740(11. See Tahdhib, IV,
232-34] -'Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas, commenting on: God "created the heavens
and the earth in six days" [395. Qur. 11:7]
-of which each day is like "one thousand years of your counting. " [396. See Tafsir, XXI, 58 (ad Qur. 32:5).]
According to Ibn Waki'-his father-Isra 'il [397. Born in 100/718( 9), Isra 'il b. Yunus died in the
early 1608/776-799. See TB,VII, 20-25; Tahdhib, 1, 261-63.] -Simak-'Ikrimah-Ibn
'Abbas, commenting on: "In a day whose measure is a thousand years of your
counting," [398. Qur. 32:5. See Tafsir, XXI, 58.] as
follows: The six days on which God created the heavens and the earth.
According to 'Abdah [399.
Tafsir, XXI, 58 starts the isndd with: "I was told by al-Husayn b .
al-faraj," as is commonly found in Tafsir. Elsewhere, we find'Abdin al
-Marwazi instead of 'Abdah (see text below, 1, So); further'Abdah al -Marwazi
(1, 96),'Abdan b. Muhammad al-Marwazi ( I, 1171, and 'Abdin al-Marwazi (I,
312), apparently all referring to the same individual . However, he appears
unidentifiable under any form of the name. TB, XI, 135 f., has a certain 'Abdin
b. Muhammad al-Marwazi (b. 220/835, d. 293/906), a transmitter of Muqatil 's
Tafsir, but he belonged to the generation of Tabari and was himself a student
of Abu Kurayb and an authority of the Tabari biographer In Kimil . He could
hardly be meant here. See also Horst, 304] -al-Husayn b. al-Faraj [400. Al-Husayn b. al-Faraj does not seem to be safely
identifiable with al-Husayn b. al-Faraj al-Khayyat. See TB, VIII, 84-86; In Abi
Hatim, I, 2, 62; In Hajar, Lisdn, II, 307 ; Horst, 304, n. 7.] –Abu Mu'adh
[401. As indicated by Horst, 304, n. 8, Abu Mu'adh
al-Fadl b. Khalid (see text below, I, 8o) died around 211/826 (7). See In
al-Jazari , Ghdyah, II, 9; In Abi Hatim, III, 2, 61] -'Ubayd [402.'Ubayd (wrongly, it seems , Ubaydallah, see text below,
I, 80) b. Sulayman is briefly listed in Tahdhib, VII, 67; Ibn Abi Hatim, II, 2,
408; Horst, 304, n. 9.] -al-Dahhak concerning God's word: "In a day
whose measure is a thousand years of your counting": He means the day of
the six days in which God created the heavens and the earth and what is between
them.
According to al-Muthanna-'Ali (b.
al-Haytham)-al-Musayyab b. Sharik-Abu Rawq-al-Dahhak, commenting on: "And
He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six days" [403. Qur. 11:7.] -of the days of the other world. The
measure of each day is a thousand years. He began with the creation on Sunday,
and the creation was all together on Friday (iftama'a
- jum'ah). [404. Tafsir, XII, 4 (ad Qur. 11:7)
contains a version of the tradition whose isnad omits the first two links
mentioned above.],
According to Ibn Humayd-Jarir (b. 'Abd
al-Hamid)-alA'mash-Abu Salih-Kab: God began the creation of the heavens and the
earth on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He finished on Friday.
He continued: God made each day equal to
a thousand years.
According to al-Muthanna-al-Hajjaj-Abu
'Awanah-Abu Bishr-Mujahid: One of the
six days is "like a thousand years of your counting." [405. Qur. 32:5.]
CONTINUED
