Many, many years ago, God created the first creation, without it coming from something. The first thing God created was the original water. From this water, God created everything else, without God needing that water. With that first creating, time was created and started.
The next thing God created was what is called the Great Throne (Al-^Arshil-^Adhim). It is presently existing, high above us, beyond ‘outer space’. Although it is called ‘The Throne’ it is not a place for anyone to sit. It is much bigger than Paradise and only part of it serves as the ceiling of Paradise, with part of it extending past Paradise.
The Throne is the largest creation, and only God knows the boundaries of this limited creation. The Throne, with its gigantic size, gives us an indication of the Power of God. God has full Power over this Throne, keeping it from falling down upon us. Obviously, since God has control over this gigantic creation, God has Power over everything smaller than it.
The Throne has four pillars. An angel holds each pillar. It would take a fast flying bird 700 years to fly from the earlobe of one of these angels to his shoulder.
The next thing that God created is the High Pen. This Pen is in the form of light. After this Pen, God created the Guarded Tablet. This Tablet is very large. It is one giant pearl surrounded with rubies. God has the Power to create a pearl without an oyster before. The height of the Guarded Tablet is the distance between the Earth and the first heaven. Some scholars said that the Guarded Tablet is above the Throne, and some said that it is below it.
God ordered the High Pen to write on the Guarded Tablet. The Pen wrote all that would occur until the Day of Judgment. The Pen wrote, with no one holding it. The Pen wrote for 50,000 years.
God created light and darkness. He created Paradise and Hellfire. Another huge creation is called the “Chair” (Kursiyy). The Prophet said that the size of the seven heavens compared to the size of the Kursiyy, is like the size of a ring compared to the size of a vast open land. The size of the Kursiyy, compared to the ^Arsh, is like the size of a ring compared to a vast open land.
GOD CREATED THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS IN SIX DAYS
God created the Earth and seven heavens above it. Under our Earth where we reside, there are six more earths, (Suratut-Talaq, 12). These six earths have water, insects, plants, jinn, but no humans on them. Under the seventh earth is Hellfire.After God created the Earth and six others, God created the seven heavens. Each of these heavens is a solid body held up without pillars. Each of these heavens is separated from the other. From one heaven to another is a traveling distance of 500 hundred years.
Each heaven has a gate, by which our Prophet Muhammad entered into the interior of the heaven. The blue that we see of the sky is the outside of the first of these seven heavens. The sun, moon, stars, and planets that we see are all below the first heaven and are not contained within it.
Prophet Muhammad ascended through the sky and had to gain admittance from an angel in order to enter into the first heaven. Then, our Prophet exited from the first heaven and entered into the second heaven and so on until he had entered and exited from each of the seven heavens.
Some people call the everlasting dwelling place of the Muslims “Heaven”. When we say “heavens” we are not talking about the everlasting dwelling place of Muslims in the Hereafter. The name we will give to the everlasting dwelling place of Muslims in the Hereafter is “Paradise” (Al-Jannah).
The seven heavens (sab^u samawat) we are telling you about are places under the land of Paradise. These seven heavens may also be referred to as “the seven skies”.
Each of the seven heavens is created as a solid material. The stars, sun and moon are created as decorations to the first heaven. Each heaven is full of angels praying. Some are in the standing position of prayer, some are in the bowing position, and some are in the position of prostration. You will not find a space of four fingers width in the heavens, except there is an angel worshipping God. The heavens are the residence of the angels, and the Earth is the residence of the humans and jinn.
Surat Fussilat, verse 12 means God created the heavens as seven heavens in two days. Also in Surat Fussilat is the information that this Earth was created in two days.
God created the Earth and the seven heavens in six days. Each of these particular days was equivalent to 1000 years that we know. In Suratu Qaf, God says that He created the seven heavens and the Earth and what is in between them in six days, after which God did not get tired. In Suratul-Hajj, verse 47, God says that one of those days is equivalent to 1000 years that we know and count. In Suratul-‘A^raf, verse 54, God says that He created the heavens and Earth in six days, and He has full control over the Throne. This last verse cited does not mean that God then went on the Throne after the creating of the Earth and the heavens. This is how we talk about a changing creation. This is not how we talk about God.
God created the Earth in two days, the first two of the six, Sunday and Monday. On the next two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, God created the seven heavens. Then on Thursday and Friday, God created the landmarks of this Earth upon which we live, like the mountains, rivers, valleys, the trees, and other things.
In Suratun-Nazi^at, verse 30 God said that [after creating the Earth and heavens] He made the Earth suitable for the residence of humans, making rivers and springs, and what we need.
God created the oceans, in which He placed fish as food for us. God created the mountains. The mountains hold the Earth in place so that it does not shift. In Suratun-Nahl, verse 15 is the information that God created the mountains as stakes that hold the Earth in position, so that it does not turn around while you are on it. In Suratun-Nazi^at, verse 32, God said He laid down the mountains as holding pillars.
God has the Power to create the heavens and Earth in less time than He did. The wisdom of God creating the Earth and the seven heavens in six days is to teach the people to be patient. It teaches us to take time in our affairs, and not to rush into doing things. In verse 82 of Suratu Yasin, God told us that if He willed to create something, it should come. Nothing delays His Creating. God does not need to say a word in order to create. Creating is easy for God. God creates everything, as God knew it would be created, and as God willed it would be created.
On the last of these six days, Friday, close to its beginning, God created angels. All the angels were created at the same time, from light. They are extremely numerous, and only God knows their number.
Also, on the sixth day, God created Iblis, (the devil known as Satan), the first of the jinn. This first jinni was created from the pure flame of fire (that does not produce smoke). Satan was not an angel that went bad, as some people say. No angel “goes bad”. Satan was always a jinni, a totally different creation from an angel.
The first man was created towards the end of the sixth day. In one of his traditions (hadiths) Prophet Muhammad said that the creation of Adam was finalized in Paradise on Friday. It started when an angel gathered a mixture of soils of the Earth. Then the mixture of soils was taken to Paradise. In Paradise, the soil was kneaded with the water of Paradise. Then, the soul was put into Adam, after which he became a living human.
