How Does the Quran Explain Time and the “Six Days” of Creation?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
The Quran presents time as a creation of Allah (Most High) and describes it in relative terms. Time, as we understand it, is a construct limited to creation, while Allah (Most High) transcends time and space. The Quran references different measures of time, emphasizing its relativity.
For instance, a day with Allah (Most High) is like a thousand years of human reckoning [Quran, 22:47]. In another verse, a day is mentioned as fifty thousand years [Quran, 70:4]. This demonstrates that time is not absolute but varies based on context and perspective.
The “Six Days” of Creation
The Quran mentions that the heavens and the earth were created in six days. Allah (Most High) says:
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself on the Throne.” [Quran, 7:54]
Please find the details of this concept here.
Conclusion
The Quran presents the concept of time as relative, describing the “six days” of creation as distinct phases. Scientific findings regarding the formation of the Earth support this interpretation when “days” is understood as stages. This perspective highlights the Quran’s timeless nature and its compatibility with novel discoveries, reinforcing the divine message about the vastness, order, and purpose of creation.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Mohammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
