4 Preface اللَّهُ الَّذي خَلَقَ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضَ وَما بَينَهُما في سِتَّةِ أَيّامٍ ثُمَّ استَوىٰ عَلَى العَرشِ ۖ ما لَكُم مِن دونِهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلا شَفيعٍ ۚ أَفَلا تَتَذَكَّرونَYusuf AliIt is God Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all between them, in six Days,1 and is firmly established on the Throne (of authority);2 ye have none, besides Him, to protect or intercede (for you): will ye not then receive admonition?Six Days: see n. 1031, to 7:54. The “Day” does not mean a day as we reckon it, viz.: one apparent course of the sun round the earth, for it refers to conditions which began before the earth and the sun were created. In verse 5 below, a Day is compared to a thousand years of our reckoning, and in 70:4 to 50,000 years. These figures “as we reckon” have no relation to “timeless Time”, and must be taken to mean very long Periods, or Ages, or Aeons. See further 41:9-12, and notes.Cf. 10:3, n. 1386. God created the World as we see it in six great Stages. But after the initial creation, He is still in authority and directs and controls all affairs. He has not delegated His powers to others, and Himself retired. Also see 7:54.