English Translation

Abu Sa'id Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Amr al-Ahmasi informed us at Kufa — al-Husayn ibn al-Rabi' narrated to us — Hammad ibn al-Sarri narrated to us — Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash narrated to us — from Abu Sa'id — from Ikrima — from Hadrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with them both) that the Jews came to the Beloved Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him about the creation of the heavens and the earth. He stated: Allah created the earth on Sunday and Monday, and He created the mountains on Tuesday and what benefits are in them. He created on Wednesday the trees, water, cities, inhabited lands, and ruins — so these are four days. So the Almighty said: {Do you indeed disbelieve in the One Who created the earth in two days, and you set up rivals with Him? That is the Lord of the worlds. And He placed therein firm mountains above it, and blessed it, and measured therein its sustenance in four days, equally for those who ask} [Fussilat 9-10]. And He created on Thursday the heaven, and on Friday the stars, the sun, the moon, and the angels until three hours remained. In the first hour of these three, He created the lifespans — when whoever dies would die. In the second, He cast affliction upon everything from which people benefit. And in the third, He created Adam, settled him in Paradise, and commanded Iblis to prostrate to him, and expelled him from it in the last hour. Then the Jews said: Then what, O Muhammad? He stated: Then He established Himself upon the Throne. They said: You are correct, if only you had completed it. They said: Then He rested. The Beloved Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) became intensely angry, and then was revealed: {And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, and nothing of fatigue touched Us. So be patient over what they say} [Qaf 38-39].