Tafseer of The letter Qaaf · Qaaf · 50:38
And We did certainly create the heavens and earth and what is between them in six days, and there touched Us no weariness.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Explanation of the statement of the Exalted: وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ "And We have indeed created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, and no fatigue touched Us." (38)
The Exalted, whose remembrance is sublime, says: and We have indeed created the seven heavens and the earth and the creatures that are between them in six days, and no exhaustion has touched Us.
As Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Abū Sinān, on the authority of Abū Bakr, he said: The Jews came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "O Muḥammad, inform us what Allah created of creation in these six days." He said: "Allah created the earth on Sunday and Monday, and He created the mountains on Tuesday, and He created the cities, the provisions, the rivers, their cultivation and their ruin on Wednesday, and He created the heavens and the angels on Thursday until three hours — that is — of the Friday, and He created in the first of the three hours the appointed terms of life, in the second the calamity, and in the third Ādam." They said: "You have spoken the truth, if you complete it." Then the Prophet ﷺ understood what they were aiming at, and he became angry, whereupon Allah sent down: وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ * فَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ ("and no fatigue touched Us. So be patient with what they say.").
He (Ibn Ḥumayd) said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān: وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ — he said: from weariness.
ʿAlī related to me, he said: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ — he says: from exhaustion.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ — he says: and no fatigue has touched Us.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ — he said: fatigue.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ ... the verse: Allah has declared the Jews and the Christians and those who fabricate lies about Allah to be liars, and that is because they said: Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rested on the seventh day — and that, according to them, is the Saturday, which they call the day of rest.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement مِنْ لُغُوبٍ : The Jews said: Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days, and He completed the creation on Friday and rested on Saturday. Then Allah declared them liars and said: وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ ("and no fatigue touched Us").
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd informed us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning His statement وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ : the measure of each (of those days) was a thousand years according to what you count.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ — he said: in that no exertion touched Us; that is the "lughūb."
