وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا ۗ وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْمَوْتِ لَيَقُولَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
Dan Dialah yang menciptakan langit dan bumi dalam enam masa, dan adalah singgasana-Nya (sebelum itu) di atas air, agar Dia menguji siapakah di antara kamu yang lebih baik amalnya, dan jika kamu berkata (kepada penduduk Mekah): "Sesungguhnya kamu akan dibangkitkan sesudah mati", niscaya orang-orang yang kafir itu akan berkata: "Ini tidak lain hanyalah sihir yang nyata".
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
Allah created the Heavens and the Earth in Six Days
Allah, the Exalted, informs of His power over all things, and that He created the heavens and the earth in six days. He mentions that His Throne was over the water before that, just as Imam Ahmad recorded that `Imran bin Husayn said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«اقْبَلُوا الْبُشْرَى يَا بَنِي تَمِيم»
(Accept the glad tidings, O tribe of Tamim!) They said, `Verily you have brought us glad tidings and you have given us.' Then he said,
«اقْبَلُوا الْبُشْرَى يَا أَهْلَ الْيَمَن»
(Accept the glad tidings, O people of Yemen!) They said, `We accept. Therefore, inform us about the beginning of this matter and how it was.' He said,
«كَانَ اللهُ قَبْلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ، وَكَتَبَ فِي اللَّوْحِ الْمَحْفُوظِ ذِكْرَ كُلِّ شَيْء»
(Allah was before everything and His Throne was over the water. He then wrote in the Preserved Tablet mentioning everything.) Then a man came to me and said, "O `Imran, your she camel has escaped from her fetter." I then went out after her and I do not know what was said after I left." This Hadith has been recorded in the Two Sahihs of Al-Bukhari and Muslim with a variety of wordings. In Sahih Muslim, it is recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّ اللهَ قَدَّرَ مَقَادِيرَ الْخَلَائِقِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّموَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاء»
(Verily Allah measured the amount of sustenance of the creatures fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne was over the water.) Under the explanation of this verse, Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: أَنْفِقْ أُنْفِقْ عَلَيْك»
(Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said, `Spend and I will spend on you.') And he said,
«يَدُ اللهِ مَلْأَى لَا يَغِيضُهَا نَفَقَةٌ، سَحَّاءُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَار»
(Allah's Hand is full, and it is not diminished by spending throughout the night and the day.) He also said,
«أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْفَقَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ السَّموَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَغِضْ مَا فِي يَمِينِهِ، وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ، وَبِيَدِهِ الْمِيزَانُ يَخْفِضُ وَيَرْفَع»
(Have you seen what has been spent since the creation of the heavens and the earth Verily it does not diminish what is in His Right Hand (in the slightest) and His Throne was over the water. In His Hand is the Scale and he lowers and raises it.) Concerning Allah's statement,
لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً
(that He might try you, which of you is the best in deeds.) This means that He created the heavens and the earth for the benefit of His servants, whom He created so that they may worship Him and not associate anything with Him as a partner. Allah did not create this creation (of the heavens and the earth) out of mere frivolity. This is similar to His statement,
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَآءَ وَالاٌّرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَـطِلاً ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنَ النَّارِ
(And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire!) 38: 27 Allah the Exalted, said,
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ عَبَثاً وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ تُرْجَعُونَ - فَتَعَـلَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
(Did you think that We created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us So Exalted is Allah, the True King: there is no God but He, the Lord of the Supreme Throne!) 23:115-116 Allah, the Exalted, said,
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ
(And I (Allah) created not the Jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).) 51:56 Concerning the statement of Allah,
لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ
(that He might try you,) It means so that He (Allah) may test you. Concerning the statement,
أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً
(which of you is the best in deeds.) It is important to note here that Allah did not say, "Which of you has done the most deeds." Rather, He said, "Best in deeds." A deed cannot be considered a good deed until it is done sincerely for Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and it must be in accordance with the legislation of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Whenever a deed lacks one of these conditions, then it is null and void.
The Polytheists hasten their Torment by arguing against Resurrection after Death
Concerning Allah's statement,
وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُمْ مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِن بَعْدِ الْمَوْتِ
(But if you were to say to them: "You shall indeed be raised up after death.") Allah, the Exalted, is saying, "O Muhammad, if you were to inform these polytheists that Allah is going to resurrect them after their death, just as He created them originally (they would still reject)." Even though they know that Allah, the Exalted, is the One Who created the heavens and the earth, just as He said,
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ
(And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: "Allah.")43:87 Allah says,
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ
(And if you were to ask them: "Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon" They will surely reply: "Allah.") 29:61 Even after their awareness of this (Allah's creating), they still reject the resurrection and the promised return on the Day of Judgement. Yet, in reference to ability, the resurrection is easier (for Allah to perform) than the original creation. As Allah said,
وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ
(And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it (after it has perished); and this is easier for Him.) 30:27 Allah also said,
مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلاَ بَعْثُكُمْ إِلاَّ كَنَفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ
(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as (the creation and resurrection of) a single person.) 31:28 Concerning the statement,
إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
(This is nothing but obvious magic.) The polytheists say this due to their disbelief and obstinacy. They say, "We do not believe your claim that resurrection will occur." They also say, "He (Muhammad) only says this (resurrection of the dead) because he is bewitched, and he wants you to follow him in what his bewitchment tells him. Concerning Allah's statement,
وَلَئِنْ أَخَّرْنَا عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابَ إِلَى أُمَّةٍ مَّعْدُودَةٍ
(And if We delay the torment for them till a determined term,) Allah, the Exalted, is saying "If We delay the torment and the destruction of these polytheists until an appointed time and a period determined, and We promise them a specific time period (of life), they would still say, in rejection and haste;
مَا يَحْبِسُهُ
(What keeps it back) They mean by this, "What delays this torment from overtaking us" Both rejection and doubt are their very nature. Therefore, they have no escape or refuge from the torment.
The Meanings of the Word Ummah
The word Ummah is used in the Qur'an and Sunnah with a number of different meanings. Sometimes when it is used it means a specified period of time. An example is the statement of Allah, the Exalted, in this verse,
إِلَى أُمَّةٍ مَّعْدُودَةٍ
(till a determined Ummah (term),) This is also the meaning in the statement of Allah in Surah Yusuf,
وَقَالَ الَّذِى نَجَا مِنْهُمَا وَادَّكَرَ بَعْدَ أُمَّةٍ
(Then the man who was released, now after Ummah (some time) remembered.) 12:45 The word Ummah is also used to refer to the Imam (leader) who is followed. An example of this is in the statement of Allah,
إِنَّ إِبْرَهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَـنِتًا لِلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
(Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah, obedient to Allah, Hanif, and he was not of those who were polytheists.) 16:120 The word Ummah is also used to mean religion and religious creed. This is as Allah mentions concerning the polytheists, that they said,
إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ
(Verily, we found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps. ) 43:23 The word Ummah is also used to mean a group (of people). This is as Allah says,
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ
(And when he arrived at the water (well) of Madyan, he found there a group of men watering (their flocks).) 28:23 Allah also said,
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ
(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid Taghut.") 16:36 Allah also said,
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولٌ فَإِذَا جَآءَ رَسُولُهُمْ قُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
(And for every Ummah there is a Messenger; when their Messenger comes, the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.) 10:47 The meaning of Ummah here is those people who have had a Messenger sent among them. The meaning of Ummah in this context includes the believers and the disbelievers among them. This is like what has been recorded in Sahih Muslim,
«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَا يَسْمَعُ بِي أَحَدٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ يَهُودِيٌّ وَلَا نَصْرَانِيٌّ ثُمَّ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِي إِلَّا دَخَلَ النَّار»
(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! there is no one of this Ummah, whether he be a Jew or Christian, who hears of me and does not believe in me, except that he will enter the Hell- fire.) In reference to the Ummah of followers, then they are those who believe in the Messengers, as Allah said,
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ
(You (the followers of Prophet Muhammad) are the best Ummah ever raised up for mankind.) 3:110 In the Sahih the Prophet said,
«فَأَقُولُ: أُمَّتِي أُمَّتِي»
(Then I will say, "My Ummah (followers), my Ummah!") The word Ummah is also used to mean a sect or party. An example of this usage is in the statement of Allah,
وَمِن قَوْمِ مُوسَى أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ
(And of the people of Musa there is an Ummah who lead (the men) with truth and established justice therewith.) 7:159 Likewise is His statement,
مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ
(A party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right.) 3:113
Hadits Terkait
Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Al Hasan bin Ar Rabi'] telah menceritakan kepada kami [Abu Al Ahwash] dari [Al A'masy] dari [Zaid bin Wahb] dia berkata; [Abu Dzar] berkata; "Aku pernah jalan-jalan bersama Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam di Harrah Madinah (tempat yang banyak bebatuan hitamnya), lalu kami menghadap ke arah gunung Uhud, beliau pun bersabda: "Wahai Abu Dzar!." Jawabku; 'Baik, ya Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam.' Beliau melanjutkan; 'Aku tidak suka bila emas sebesar gunung Uhud ini menjadi milikku dan bermalam di rumahku hingga tiga malam, kemudian aku mempunyai satu dinar darinya, kecuali satu dinar tersebut akan gunakan untuk membayar hutangku. Atau akan memberikannya kepada hamba-hamba Allah begini, begini dan begini.' -Beliau lantas mendemontrasikan (dengan genggaman tangannya) ke kanan, kiri dan ke belakangnya, lalu beliau berjalan dan bersabda: 'Wahai Abu Dzar, sungguh orang-orang yang berbanyak-banyak (mengumpulkan harta) akan menjadi sedikit (melarat) pada hari kiamat, kecuali orang yang berkata seperti ini, seperti ini dan seperti ini!" Sambil mempraktekkan ke kanan, kiri dan belakangnya- kecuali hanya sedikit dari mereka yang seperti itu.' Lalu beliau bersabda kepadaku: 'Wahai Abu Dzar, kamu tunggu di sini hingga aku datang.' Setelah itu beliau pergi digelapnya malam hingga hilang dari pandanganku, lalu aku mendengar gemuruh suara, dan aku khawatir jangan-jangan terjadi sesuatu terhadap Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam, serentak aku hendak menuju sumber suara tersebut, namun aku segera teringat sabda Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam: 'Tunggulah kamu di sini.' Maka aku pun segera diam di tempat hingga beliau datang, lalu aku berkata; 'Wahai Rasulullah, tadi aku mendengar suara gemuruh, dan aku sangat takut, lalu aku segera teringat pesan anda, maka aku tetap diam di tempat.' Maka Nabi bersabda: 'Apakah kamu mendengarnya? ' Jawabku; 'Ya.' Beliau bersabda: 'Itu adalah Jibril, ia datang kepadaku dan berkata; 'Siapa saja yang mati dari ummatmu dan tidak menpersekutukan Allah dengan sesuatu pun, maka ia akan masuk ke surga'." Aku lalu bertanya; 'Walaupun ia berzina dan mencuri? ' Beliau menjawab: 'Walaupun ia berzina dan mencuri
Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Ahmad bin Syabib] telah menceritakan kepada kami [Ayahku] dari [Yunus]. [Al Laits] mengatakan; telah menceritakan kepadaku [Yunus] dari [Ibnu Syihab] dari ['Ubaidullah bin Abdullah bin 'Utbah], [Abu Hurairah] radliallahu 'anhu berkata; Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam bersabda: "Sekiranya aku memiliki emas sebesar gunung Uhud, maka aku tidak suka jika ia masih berada disisiku selama tiga hari, dan sekiranya aku memiliki sedikit saja dari itu, niscaya aku telah membayarkan untuk hutang
Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Al Humaidi] telah menceritakan kepada kami [Sufyan] telah menceritakan kepada kami [Al A'masy] dia berkata; saya mendengar [Abu Wa`il] dia berkata; "Kami pernah menjenguk [Khabbab], lalu dia berkata; 'Kami berhijrah bersama Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam dengan mengharap ridla Allah Ta'ala, maka Allah pun memberi balasan kepada kami, diantara kami ada yang meninggal dan belum mendapatkan balasan (di dunia) sedikitpun, diantaranya adalah Mush'ab bin Umair yang terbunuh pada perang Uhud, dan hanya meninggalkan kain burdah kasar, jika kami menutup kepalanya, kedua kakinya keluar dari kain (terlihat) dan jika kami menutup kakinya, kepalanya keluar dari kain (terlihat). Maka Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam menyuruh kami untuk menutup kepalanya dengan kain tersebut dan menutup kakinya dengan idzkhir (rumput-rumputan berbau harum: penerj). Juga diantara kami ada yang memliki buah yang sudah masak dan ia memetiknya
Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Hudbah bin Khalid] telah menceritakan kepada kami [Hammam bin Yahya] telah menceritakan kepada kami [Qatadah] dia berkata; kami pernah menemui [Anas bin Malik] sementara pembuat rotinya berdiri. Ia lalu berkata; "Makanlah. Sungguh aku tidak pernah melihat Nabi shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam melihat roti empuk hingga bertemu dengan Allah. Dan beliau tidak pernah merasakan kambing panggang sama sekali
Telah menceritakan kepada kami [Abu Al Yaman] telah mengabarkan kepada kami [Syu'aib] dari [Az Zuhri] dia berkata; telah mengabarkan kepadaku ['Atha` bin Yazid Al Laitsi] bahwa [Abu Sa'id Al Khudri] telah mengabarkan kepada mereka bahwa beberapa kaum Anshar meminta (sedekah) kepada Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam, dan tidaklah salah seorang dari mereka meminta melainkan beliau akan memberinya, hingga habislah apa yang ada pada beliau. Ketika apa yang ada pada beliau telah habis (diinfaqkan), beliau bersabda kepada mereka: "Jika kami memiliki kebaikan, maka kami tidak akan menyimpannya dari kalian semua, namun barangsiapa merasa cukup maka Allah akan mencukupkan baginya, barangsiapa berusaha sabar maka Allah akan menjadikannya sabar dan barangsiapa merasa (berusaha) kaya maka Allah akan mengayakannya. Dan sungguh, tidaklah kalian diberi sesuatu yang lebik baik dan lebih lapang dari kesabaran