Was the earth created before the sky? (Part 1)
The Holy Qur’an says in verse 28 of Chapter al-Baqarah: “He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth, and He directed Himself to the heaven, so He made them complete seven heavens, and He knows all things.” If all creatures have been created for mankind, what were the animals, which went extinct millions of years ago, created for? In addition, man is the youngest of creatures on earth. How could it be possible that other creatures were created for him in his absence millions or perhaps billions of years ago? Was the earth created before the sky? There are planets in the galaxies very much older than the earth. As compared to those planets, the earth seems to be very young. As well, no astronaut has said that there are seven firmaments or skies above the earth.
The creation of other creatures on earth is not meant to hold or entail material benefits for mankind; the material benefit is only one aspect of the story. The more important aspect is that contemplation and reflection over the creatures, irrespective of whether they exist or do not exist at present, can help mankind get closer to the God of the universe and can deter him from disobeying his Lord. And we know for sure that the power of thinking and intellection is a privilege that makes mankind superior to other creatures.
In addition, what is said about the earth is not in contradiction with scientific findings as God, the Almighty, may have had a special attention towards the planet earth while designing and creating the universe. Thus, it is likely that Allah created its initial nucleus before the stars and galaxies but made its final formation to take place after the creation of the skies. Such a concept also comes to the mind by looking at other verses of the Holy Qur’an.
Definitely, astronauts have not yet gone further beyond the moon planet and astronomers have not reached the end of the universe so that they may be qualified to give any precise and scientific view about the seven firmaments or skies.
Detailed Answer
This question is divided into three parts:
1. Have all creatures, even animals like dinosaurs which have gone extinct, been created for man?
2. Does the Qur’an say that the earth has been created before the heavens (skies). Assuming that there is such a statement in the Qur’an, does it not contradict with what the contemporary science says?
3. Are there seven skies or firmaments above the earth?
We will deal with the foregoing questions in the same order in next part.
Source: islamquest.net
Other links:
Creation from Hot Smoke
