Well, there are some discrepancies the Quran has concerning the creation, and I would like an explanation, please. The first contradiction is evident in the description of what came first, heaven or earth? “created the earth in two days, then… seven heavens in two days” (Surah 41:9-12) “He it is who created the whole earth for you, then he rose over (Istawa) towards heaven and made them.” “He created earth in two days.. then he rose over (Istawa) towards the heaven when it was Smoke… he completed and finished their creation” As opposed to: “The heaven that he constructed, he rose in height and has perfected it.. and after that he spread the earth and brought forth there from its water and its pasture” The first verses describe earth as being created first; the second set explains that heaven was created first. The second thing I’m unclear about is the number of days over which the creation took place. “Who created the earth in two days… placed there in firm mountains from above in four days… He completed and finished from their creation seven heavens in two days”(41:9-11) As opposed to: “He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six days”(Surah 11:7) “Who created the heavens and the earth in six days” Surah 10:3 “In deed your lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days”(Surah 7:54) The first set says 8 days whereas the second set explains that only 6 days passed.
These objections put by this non-muslim are nothing new. Imam Bukhari mentions that this same objection was made by a person to the illustrious Sahabi Abdullah ibn Abbas (Radhiallahu anhu).
1.Allah first created the earth thereafter He created the heavens. After creating the heavens he then rolled out the earth, placed water on it and created pastures on it. Thus Surah 41 verses 9-12 shows that the earth was created first, while surah 79 verse 30 mentions that the earth was spread out after the creation of the heavens, it does not say that the earth was created after the heavens.
2. Creation took place in six days. In the first 2 days the earth was created, in the next two the heavens were created and in the last two the earth was spread out, mountains were placed on it etc. In surah 41 verses 9-11 , where Allah Taalaa mentions that the mountains were placed on the earth, provisions were measured etc. in four days, this is including the 2 days in which the earth was created. Thus the complete creation of the earth including spreading it out, placing mountains on it etc all took 4 days, while the creation of the earth only took 2 days.
(Tafsir ibn Kathir vol.7 Pg.125-Maktabah Towfiiyyah)
And Allah knows best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai