Before anything existed—before time, space, light, or matter—there was only Allah, complete and eternal. Then came the divine command that changed everything: “Kun” (Be).
From that single word, the universe burst into existence.
The Unfolding of Creation
- From nothingness came light, spreading across the void and forming the first foundations of the cosmos.
- The heavens were raised in layers, each one crafted with precision and balance.
- Stars ignited, galaxies spun into motion, and the vast architecture of the universe took shape.
- The earth was formed, anchored by mountains, nourished by rivers, and prepared as a home for life.
- Every creature, from the smallest atom to the largest planet, followed the order set by Allah’s wisdom.
How did Allah create the heavens and the earth?
God created the heavens and the earth in six days. Starting from Sunday and ending with Friday. It is for this reason that Friday is a special day for Muslims . On that day Allah Almighty finished creating the heavens and the earth.
“He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself on the Throne. He knows what enters within the heart of the earth, and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven, and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wherever you may be. And Allah sees well all that you do” (Surah al Hadid 57:4)
There is a difference of opinions regarding the six days of the creation of the heavens and the earth among scholars.The verses that mention “six days” use the Arabic word yawm (day). This word appears several other times in the Qur’an, each denoting a different measurement of time.
In one case, the measure of a day is equated with 50,000 year(Surah al Ma’arij ,70:4), whereas another verse states that “a day in the sight of your Lord is like 1,000 years of your reckoning” (Surah al Hajj,22:47).
The word yawm is thus understood to be a long period of time–an era or eon. Therefore, Muslims interpret the description of a “six-day” creation as six distinct periods or eons. The length of these periods is not precisely defined, nor are the specific developments that took place during each period.
Created the universe from a single entity
Allah created the universe from a single entity, and He is All-Capable over all things. Allah then ordered this ‘single entity’ to split, which it did, and turned into a cloud of smoke. From this cloud of smoke Allah created the heavens and earth. This is mentioned in the words of Allah.
Scientists say that before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial matter was initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous matter or clouds were present before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial celestial matter, the word ‘smoke’ is more appropriate than gas.
The creation of the earth came before the creation of the heavens. As shown by the word of God (which means)
He is God, who created everything on earth for you then He went up and made the seven heavens. And He knows all things. ” (Al Baqarah: 29)
Because it is like a building, the foundation is made first before the roof. So the earth is the foundation and the sky is the roof.
Allah said ” It is Allah who made the earth for you a dwelling place and the sky as a roof”.
(Surah Ghafir: 64).
SEVEN LAYERS OF EARTH
SEVEN LAYERS OF SKY
Allah ta’ala says (which means), ” It is Allah who created seven heavens and the earth of the same . Allah’s command descends over them, so that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah truly encompasses all things in knowledge. ” (Sural at Thalak: 12).
And strengthened by the words of the Messenger of Allah(saw) , “Whoever commits injustice (grabs other people’s land even if it is only) an inch of land, then Allah will cover it with seven layers of earth”
Jewish belief: Allah finished creating the heavens and the earth on Friday and rested on Saturday.
God contradicted their words. Allah Ta’ala said (which means), ” And verily We have created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six seasons, and We are not afflicted with fatigue in the slightest ” (Surah al Qaf: 38).
ANGELS WITNESSING THE CREATIONS
According to the scholars, there are two possible explanations. Firstly, it’s possible that the angels existed before they were created because it’s unclear when exactly they were created. This could mean that Allah wanted to demonstrate his power to them by allowing them to witness the creation’s magnificence—the heavens, the earth, the oceans, the mountains—coming into existence before their very eyes.
The second opinion is that scholars claim that humans can learn something from this. One of Allah’s most cherished attributes is his ability to strategically plan things out carefully and methodically. By doing so, we can learn to be patient, execute tasks correctly, and accomplish them with excellence and ihsan.
But Allah is Al Hakeem; The Most Wise,It means that He puts everything in the exact right place at the exact right time,
Every decision he makes is flawless. There are no errors in His plan. Everything in nature and in our lives happens for a specific reason, even if it doesn’t make sense to us right away. Just because we cannot see the “why” behind a situation doesn’t mean it isn’t perfect. His knowledge is complete, while ours is limited. Allah knows exactly what He is doing, and everything He creates has a perfect purpose.
All of Allah’s provisions contain wisdom. With the process of creating the heavens and the earth, Allah wants to show His creatures the greatness of Allah. And teaches that everything requires a process. With this, humans learn to be patient.
This is supported by a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: Working with deliberation, dignity and graduation is from Allah and hastening, from shaytan. (Mazhari, with reference to Shu’ab al-‘iman by Al-Baihaqi)
To be continued……