Answer: The Quran has several sets of verses regarding this topic:
1. Creation in Six Days: "Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days" (Quran 7:54).
2. Creation in Six Days Including Everything Between: "It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days" (Quran 32:4).
Note: It appears that "the heavens and the earth" refers to the entire universe, meaning the phrase "the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them" is a metaphor for the entire creation.
3. Detailed Description of the Creation Process: "Say, 'Do you really disbelieve in Him who created the earth in two days and ascribe partners to Him? That is the Lord of all the worlds.' And He set in the earth firm mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and ordained in it, in four days [various] means of sustenance, equally for all seekers. Then He turned to the heaven, while it was smoke, and He said to it and to the earth, 'Come [into being], willingly or unwillingly!' They said, 'We have come obediently.' Then He set them up as seven heavens in two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and guarded them. That is the determination of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing" (Quran 41:9-12).
"Is your creation more difficult or that of the heaven He has created? He raised its vault and fashioned it. And He darkened its night, and brought forth its forenoon. And after that He spread out the earth. He extracted from it its water and its pasture, and the mountains He set firmly as provision for you and your grazing livestock" (Quran 79:27-33).
Note: The first set of verses consistently mentions that God created the heavens and the earth in six "days" (yawm).
The second set of verses adds "and whatever is between them," indicating that God created the heavens, the earth, and everything in between in six "days" (yawm).
The third set of verses (Surah Fussilat 41:9-12) mentions eight "days" (yawm) in total, leading to several questions.
Answer: The word "yawm" in this context means a limited period of time, which can be short or long, material or non-material, a day, or something broader. In the Quran, "yawm" has been used in various senses:
Answer: Considering the context of the verses describing the creation of the heavens and the earth in six "days," it is understood that "yawm" refers to a period or stage. Thus, there is no contradiction between the scientific understanding of the universe's formation over billions of years and the Quranic description of its creation in six stages.
Answer: Linguistically, "sama" refers to anything above, and "ardh" refers to anything below. In the Quran, these terms have been used in various contexts, such as:
Therefore, "heavens" and "earth" in the Quran are not always material. They can also refer to spiritual realms, depending on the context. The apparent meaning in Surah Fussilat (41:9-12) refers to the material heavens and earth, but in Surah As-Sajda (32:4-5), some commentators suggest a spiritual interpretation.
Note: The mention of "seven heavens" and the symbolic significance of the number seven is a separate discussion that requires more elaboration.
Answer: One might say that the main reason the Quran places so much emphasis on the various stories of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel is because of the significant similarities between Moses' community and the Muslim community. This means that the behaviours of the Muslim community are akin to those of Moses' people. Therefore, these stories are recounted multiple times and from various angles with different details to guide and instruct Muslims, helping them understand and avoid deviant paths (although, unfortunately, it seems that Muslims have followed the same path as the Children of Israel, just in a new form).
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said about this:
"My nation will commit the same actions as the Children of Israel, step by step, such that if they entered the hole of an animal, my nation would follow them into it. The Torah and the Quran were written by the same angel on one parchment with one pen, and the parables and traditions are similar in both."
In another narration, he said:
"The likeness of my community is like that of the Children of Israel: they will follow them step by step, such that if they placed their foot in a particular place, my community will place their foot in the same place."
Answer: Allama Tabatabai in "Al-Mizan" says:
The Almighty Lord has affirmed intercession in His noble speech, provided it is by His permission, without restricting it to this world or the hereafter, and said:
"Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission?" (Quran 2:255). Additionally, He said: "And those whom they invoke besides Him have no power of intercession, except those who bear witness to the truth knowingly" (Quran 43:86). As you can see, intercession is granted to those who bear witness to the truth with knowledge, and the most certain of these knowledgeable individuals are the prophets (peace be upon them), including our esteemed Prophet (SAWAS) and his 12 infallible successors (Imams).
So, even if there is room to doubt the intercession of the noble saints from the community, the intercession of these chosen individuals is beyond doubt, especially the Prophet Muhammad (SAWAS), whom God Himself has confirmed as a witness to the truth and said:
"And We will bring you as a witness over these [people]" (Quran 4:41).
Furthermore, regarding his knowledge, He said:
"And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things" (Quran 16:89),
And also: "The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down upon your heart" (Quran 26:193-194).
It is evident that when the Quran, which explains everything, is revealed to someone's heart, that person would be knowledgeable about the Quran. It is unreasonable to think otherwise, just as it is unreasonable to think that God would send someone as a witness who does not bear true testimony.
In the verse "That you may be witnesses over mankind" (Quran 2:143), and the verse "And that Allah may take martyrs from among you" (Quran 3:140), and the verse "And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge" (Quran 29:43), God establishes that in addition to the prophets, other martyrs and scholars within the Muslim community bear true testimony. It is clear that God affirms only the truth, so there are truthful witnesses within the Muslim community as well.
Specifically regarding the Prophet's household, God says:
"Indeed, Allah desires to remove all impurity from you, O people of the [Prophet’s] household, and purify you with a thorough purification" (Quran 33:33).
This verse indicates that the Prophet’s household has been purified by God. The verse:
"Indeed, it is a noble Quran in a well-protected Book; none touch it except the purified" (Quran 56:77-79) implies that only the purified understand the Quran. Consequently, it is proven that the Prophet’s household are the purified ones and knowledgeable about the Quran, which is an explanation of everything. They are among those who bear true witness without falsehood or error.
Therefore, it should not be said that seeking intercession through these noble individuals and making them intermediaries before God is shirk (associating partners with God).
Answer: The Quran does not explicitly state that knowledge is sacred, but it holds a very important and elevated position. The overall message from the verses and traditions is that knowledge is a divine light, and not everyone is worthy of receiving the truth of knowledge. In this sense, it can be considered sacred.
However, the true essence of knowledge differs from the information humans acquire, and this distinction applies to all types of knowledge. As mentioned, knowledge has a special and elevated status in the verses of the Quran. Here are a few examples:
"Allah witnesses that there is no God except Him, and [so do] the angels and those who possess knowledge, [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice" (Quran 3:18).
Reaching the level of understanding God's oneness and bearing witness to it is possible for those with knowledge, which alone signifies the virtue and necessity of knowledge. Because knowledge has such a pleasing result, God has said:
"Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees" (Quran 58:11).
God has highlighted the superiority of the knowledgeable in many instances and explicitly stated this in several verses: "Say, 'Are those who know equal to those who do not know?'" (Quran 39:9).
The Quran encourages and even commands the pursuit of knowledge:
"So ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know" (Quran 16:43).
Answer: There is disagreement among commentators about the fruit and tree that Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) ate from. Some possibilities mentioned include wheat, grapes, colocynth, camphor, dates, figs, eternity, knowledge, and the tree of envy.
Some believe all these opinions are correct and refer to a narration from Imam Redha (AS), who said the tree bore various kinds of fruit and was not like worldly trees that produce only one type of fruit.
Answer: "Habt" means the invalidation, nullification, or rendering of actions ineffective and useless. An important point to note is that "Habt" applies to actions in general, not just worship. For worship to be valid and effective, it requires faith and the intention of seeking closeness to God. However, even a non-believer or a hypocrite can perform good deeds, which will have positive effects (e.g., if a non-believer maintains family ties, gives charity, or has good manners, they benefit from these good deeds).
Certain beliefs, behaviours, or actions can render these good deeds null and void.
Answer: Various reasons for the nullification of our deeds that have been mentioned in religious sources, differing for believers and non-believers. For example, some actions that nullify deeds for a believer do not apply to a non-believer, such as apostasy.
Scholars and commentators have identified several factors that lead to the nullification of good deeds as mentioned in the Quran:
"Whoever turns back from their faith and dies while they are disbelievers, their deeds will become void in this world and the Hereafter, and they will be the inhabitants of the Fire" (Quran 2:217).
"They are those who disbelieve in the signs of their Lord and in the meeting with Him. So their deeds have become worthless, and We will not assign any weight to them on the Day of Resurrection" (Quran 18:105).
"O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, or speak loudly to him as you speak loudly to one another, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not" (Quran 49:2).
"Whoever disbelieves in faith, their deeds will become void, and in the Hereafter, they will be among the losers" (Quran 5:5).
"They are the ones who have believed and then disbelieved, so their hearts were sealed, and they do not understand. When they come to you, they say, 'We believe,' but they have entered with disbelief in their hearts, and they have left with the same. And Allah knows best what they were hiding" (Quran 63:3-4).
"You see those with a disease in their hearts racing toward them, saying, 'We fear misfortune may strike us.' But perhaps Allah will bring victory or a decision from Him, and they will become regretful for what they concealed in themselves. Their deeds have become worthless" (Quran 5:52).
Other factors that lead to the nullification of deeds include:
Factors that nullify deeds can be broadly categorized:
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