Replies to Critiques -The 'Left' or the 'Back' & God's Creation in 6 Periods

[Sword]

Dear brother Joseph,


Salamun alaykum.


I have a few questions regarding some of the verses of the Quran, and I am hoping that you could share your thoughts of them.



Take a look at these verses:

And he that will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: "Ah! Would that my Record had not been given to me!" (69:25)

But he who is given his Record behind his back, Soon will he cry for perdition (84:10-11)


Regarding the above two verses, in one verse it says that the record of the people who are destined for hell will be given in their "left hand", and in the other verse it says the record will be given "behind his back". I am aware that in 69:25, the word 'hand' is not there in Arabic. Therefore, to translate it more accurately we can say that the record will be given "in his left".

Why do you think one verse says "in his left", and the other says "behind his back"? If a critique of Islam points this out as a contradiction, what can we give him / her as a reply?



Now regarding the second part of my questions, many critiques point out that verses 7:54, 10:3, 11:7 and 25:29 say that God has created the heavens and the earth in six days. But in verses 41:9-12, the creation of the heavens and the earth counts up to be eight days, hence a contradiction. Please share how you would refute this critique.




Regards.

[Joseph Islam]

Dear Sword,

Wa alaikum assalam

Please see my response in two parts:


[1] THE LEFT OR THE BACK?

In verse 37:139, God refers to the messenger that was rejected / condemned (mudhad) for his actions (37:141) as 'Jonah' (37:139). In another verse, God refers to Jonah as the 'companion of the fish' (68:48). Is this a contradiction or is the second description just a different way to reference the same entity implying synonymy? One would argue, it is of course the latter.

Similarly, verse 69:25 speaks about the 'left' which implies a contrast to the 'right' which has a somewhat 'glorified meaning' in the Quran (e.g. those of the right hand, right hand possessed). The glorification of the 'right' is also seen in other languages such as the English e.g. 'my right hand man' etc. Thus the 'left' in Arabic in particular contexts carries a meaning of the opposite of being 'glorified' such as being debased.

The 'back' (zahr) (like the left) is another expression which doesn't carry a glorified meaning when used in the context of the sinner:

For example:

006:031 "...while they will bear their burdens on their backs.."
009:035 "...in the Fire of Hell and will be branded with it their foreheads and their flanks and their backs..."

This is well documented in detail in Arabic lexicons. A small excerpt is provided as an example:

• - جَعَلَنِى بِظَهْرٍ (tropical:) He cast me off. (TA.) And جَعَلتُ حَاجَتَهُ بِظَهْرٍ (tropical:) I cast his want behind my back: (AO, K:) and ↓ جَعَلَهَا ظِهْرِيَّةً signifies the same: (S:) and ↓ اِتَّخَذَهَا ظِهْرِيًّا , (K,) and ↓ ظِهْرِيَّةً : (TA:) or the former of the last two phrases signifies he held it in contempt; [1]

Hence the synonymy between the expressions 'left' and 'back' should be apparent to anyone that studies the Arabic language and the Quran's use of these expressions in particular contexts. Therefore, there are absolutely no grounds for a critique which attempts to highlight an 'alleged' contradiction.



[2] GOD'S CREATION IN SIX PERIODS

I have provided a response to this question in the following illustration.

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE IN SIX PERIODS
http://quransmessage.com/charts%20and%20illustrations/six%20periods/six%20periods%20FM2.htm

The common mistake is to understand this as: Heavens (2 periods) + Earth (2 periods separately) + Earth (4 periods) = 8

This is incorrect.

The instruction was given to both the Heavens and the Earth to form simultaneously (41:11) and therefore there is an overlap. The earth was not created separately after the heavens were formed but simultaneously.

Thus it should be understood as: Heavens & Earth (2 periods simultaneously) + 4 periods = 6

I hope this helps, God willing.
Joseph


REFERENCE:

[1] LANE. E.W, Edward Lanes Lexicon, Williams and Norgate 1863; Librairie du Liban Beirut-Lebanon 1968, Volume 5, Page 1928

[Sword]

Thank you for clearing it up for me, dear brother Joseph.


May God bless you.