سورة فصلت

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): It is the rock that Luqman mentioned — it is neither in the sky nor on the earth. The fish moved and became agitated, and the earth shook, so He anchored the mountains upon it and it became still, and the mountains boasted over the earth. This is the word of Allah the Exalted: وَ جَعَلَ فِیها رَواسِیَ [And He made in it firm mountains].

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): He caused the trees to grow in it, and He decreed its foodstuffs and decreed its inhabitants — all this was in four days; exactly according to the need of the seekers. Whoever asks, the matter has been like this.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): [Regarding] وَ قَدَّرَ فِیها أَقْواتَها [and He made therein its foods] — He cleaved the rivers, planted the trees, set down the mountains, and made the seas flow, and placed in each one a benefit that is not in the other.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Imam Ali (peace be upon him) was asked about [the use of] the word wahy (revelation) in the Quran; he replied: "One type of it is the wahy of prophethood, another is the wahy of inspiration, another is the wahy of indication, another is the wahy of command, another is the wahy of falsehood, another is the wahy of decree, another is the wahy of information, and another is the wahy of messengership;.. as for the interpretation of the wahy of decree, it is this word of Allah [who said:] وَ أَوْحی فِی کُلِّ سَماءٍ أَمْرَها وَ قَدَّرَ فِیها أَقْواتَها [And He revealed in every heaven its affair, and decreed therein its foods]."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Then He says: وَ جَعَلَ فِیهَا رَوَاسِیَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا وَ بَارَکَ فِیهَا وَ قَدَّرَ فِیهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا [And He placed firm mountains in it above its surface, and blessed it, and apportioned in it its foods]. That is, it does not pass away and it endures. فِی أَرْبَعَةِ أَیَّامٍ سَوَاءً لِلسَّائِلِینَ [In four periods, alike for those who ask], meaning in four times in which Allah brought forth the sustenance of the world — of people, four-legged animals, birds, the crawling creatures of the earth, and every human being, fruit, plant, tree and the provisions needed by living things — He created them in those four times, which are the four seasons of the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Jews came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and asked him about the creation of the heavens and the earth. He said: "Allah created the earth on Sunday and Monday, and created the mountains and their benefits on Tuesday, and on Wednesday He created trees, water, cities, cultivation and desolation — that makes four days. Allah the Exalted said: قُلْ أَ إِنَّکُمْ لَتَکْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِی خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِی یَوْمَیْنِ وَ تَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ أَنْدَاداً ذَلِکَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِینَ * وَ جَعَلَ فِیهَا رَوَاسِیَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا وَ بَارَکَ فِیهَا وَ قَدَّرَ فِیهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِی أَرْبَعَةِ أَیَّامٍ سَوَاءً لِلسَّائِلِینَ [Say: Do you really disbelieve in the One who created the earth in two days, and do you set up equals with Him? That is the Lord of the worlds. And He placed firm mountains in it above its surface, and blessed it, and apportioned in it its foods, in four periods, alike for those who ask]. On Thursday He created the heaven, and on Friday the stars, the sun, the moon and the angels, up to three hours remaining of it. In the first of these three hours He created the appointed terms of death — when whoever dies dies; in the second He cast affliction upon everything from which benefit is drawn; and in the third He created Adam (peace be upon him), settled him in the Garden, commanded Iblis to prostrate to him, and brought him out of it in the last hour."