Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

When Allah Subhana o Talla intends a thing, his only word is "BE" and it is then Why did he take 6 days to create the heavens and earth?.

"The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it : `Be!' — and it is"

[al-Baqarah 2:117]

`Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!" — and it is!'

[Ya-Seen 36:82]."

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"When He has decreed something, He says to it only: `Be!' — and it is"

[Aal `Imraan 3:47]

"It is He Who gives life and causes death. And when He decides upon a thing He says to it only: `Be' — and it is"

[Ghaafir 40:68]

"And Our Commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye"

[al-Qamar 54:50]

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Allah’s Decree Be and it is

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: …..When Allah Subhana o Talla intends a thing, his only word is "BE" and it is then Why did he take 6 days to create the heavens and earth?.

Indeed, whenever the Lord Most High Most Majestic Desires a thing, all He Says is ‘Be’ and that thing will immediately come into existence…..Blessed, Glorified and all Praise is due to Allah Subhanah Alone, the Lord of the Worlds.

Beloved brother, first and foremost, we would like to clarify and we solemnly bear witness to the Truth, that it is well within the Means of the Lord Most Majestic to bring about the creation of the heavens and the earth and the likes thereof with only One Command of ‘Be’….and Allah is our witness, the creation of the heavens and the earth would immediately come into existence!

If one studies the guidance of the Glorious Quran, one would realize that the Lord Most High Most Supreme has in His Perfect and Absolute Knowledge and Wisdom, Decreed a distinct and separate means for creation in the ‘material world’ (Alam-e-Khalq) and in the ‘unseen world’ (Alam-e-Amr).

In the ‘material’ world that surrounds us, everything that transpires and happens, happens through a means or as the Glorious Quran declares ‘Sabab’……not that the Lord Most High (and I seek refuge in Allah from even saying this!) cannot bring into existence something with His Command of ‘Be’….but because that is the Decree and Determination of the Lord All-Knowing All-Wise.

But in the world of the ‘unseen’, the Decree and the Determination of the Lord Most Majestic is that everything will happen and transpire with His Mere Command of ‘Be’!

Thus brother, whatever was created by Allah Subhanah in this material world which surrounds us was allowed its time Decreed by the Lord to come into existence….be it the creation of the heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon, the earth, the animate kingdom, the inanimate kingdom, human beings, etc. Everyone and everything that was brought into existence was allowed its time Decreed to come into existence by the Lord Most High Most Supreme; and thus did Allah Subhanah leave His Signs in each of His creation in the material world so that man would study and ponder over these Signs and recognize their Lord Creator.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 45 Surah Jathiyah verses 3-8:

3 Verily in the heavens and the earth are Signs for those who believe.

4 And in the creation of yourselves and the fact that animals are scattered (through the earth) are Signs for those of assured faith.

5 And in the alternation of night and day and the fact that Allah sends down sustenance from the sky and revives therewith the earth after its death and the change of the winds are Signs for those that are wise.

6 Such are the Signs of Allah which We rehearse to thee in Truth: then in what exposition will they believe after (rejecting) Allah and His Signs?

7 Woe to each sinful dealer in falsehoods:

8 He hears the Signs of Allah rehearsed to him yet is obstinate and lofty as if he had not heard them: then announce to him a Penalty Grievous!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah Raad verses 2-4:

2 Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority); He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He doth regulate affairs explaining the Signs in detail that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.

3 And it is He Who spread out the earth and set thereon mountains standing firm and (flowing) rivers: and fruit of every kind He made in pairs two and two: He draweth the night as a veil over the day. Behold verily in these things there are Signs for those who consider!

4 And in the earth are tracts (diverse though) neighboring and gardens of vines and fields sown with corn and palm trees growing out of single roots or otherwise: watered with the same water yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Behold! Verily in these things there are Signs for those who understand!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 5-8:

5 It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty) and measured out stages for her: that ye might know the number of years and the count (of time). Nowise did Allah create this but in Truth and righteousness. (Thus) doth He explain his Signs in detail for those who understand.

6 Verily in the alternation of the night and the day and in all that Allah hath created in the heavens and the earth are Signs for those who fear Him.

7 Those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present and those who heed not Our Signs

8 Their abode is the Fire because of the (evil) they earned.

It is in this persistency and perfection of what is known today in our material world as ‘nature’ where the Lord Most High Has Declared His Signs, so that man may recognize their Lord Creator through His innumerable Signs in Creation and bow down to Him and Him Alone in absolute awe and humility.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 67 Surah Mulk verses 3-4:

3 He Who created the seven heavens one above another; no want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah) Most Gracious, so turn thy vision again: seest thou any flaw?

4 Again turn thy vision a second time; (thy) vision will come back to thee; dull and discomfited, in a state worn out.

But because none is involved in a ‘test’ to recognize their Lord in the world of the ‘unseen’, it is the Decree and the Determination of the Lord that everything that happens and transpires and will happen in the world of the ‘unseen’ will happen at the Declaration of but His One Command ‘Be’.

Thus brother, in the realms of the Hereafter, it will never happen that one intends a new palace, or new gardens, or wishes to meet someone, etc…that one will have to order bricks and mortars and glass and assign engineers and architects to build his mansion…..or take a flight or drive to meet someone he wishes to meet…..all he will need to do is desire the thought in his heart, and the Lord Most Majestic Most Supreme will merely but Declare His One Command of ‘Be’ and the desire of one’s heart will be fulfilled at that very instant!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 50 Surah Qaaf verse 35:

There they (the men and women of Paradise) shall have all that they will desire, and We have with Us yet more for them!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqan verses 15-16:

Ask them, “Is this (the Fire) better, or the Everlasting Gardens which have been promised to the God-fearing, righteous people (men and women)?”. That will be the recompense of their good deeds and the final destination of their journey, wherein, they will get everything they desire, and wherein they will dwell forever. This is a promise which your Lord has taken upon Himself to fulfill.

Although it is well within the Grasp and Power of the Lord Most Majestic to do the same in the life of this ‘material’ world, in His Absolute and Perfect Knowledge the Lord Most Supreme has Decreed and Determined that everything that transpires in this world will transpire through a means or ‘sabab’:

He could very well make every human being believe with His One Command of ‘Be’….but in the life of this ‘material’ world He has chosen to manifestly display His innumerable Signs and put man through a ‘test’, and as a Mercy from Him, He sends His Messengers and Reveals His Books so that each may fulfill his period of the test.

He could have very well annihilated the all rebellious people of Prophet Noah (a.s.), and Prophet Hud (a.s.), and Prophet Saleh (a.s.), and Prophet Lut (a.s.), and Prophet Shoaib (a.s.) with His One Command of ‘Be’……but because man was involved in a test and the Lord Had Decreed that everything in the material world will happen through a means or ‘saba’….He sent a deluge, or an earthquake, or back-braking winds to destroy the rebellious nations.

Even in the making of His Blessed House, the Kaaba, on this earth….the Lord Most Majestic Most Supreme could very well have brought His House into existence with His One Command of ‘Be’….but the Lord, in His Perfect and Absolute Wisdom honored and appointed the Noble Prophets Ibraheem (a.s.) and Ismail (a.s.) to lay the foundations of His Blessed House in this ‘material’ world.

Thus in conclusion brother, it is the Decree and the Determination of the Lord Most High based on His Perfect and Absolute Knowledge that everything that will happen and transpire in this ‘material’ world will happen through a means or a ‘sabab’ …..but everything that happens and will happen in the world of the ‘unseen’ will transpire at the mere Declaration of His but One Command: ‘Be’.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan