Meanings and Significance of a Hadith about Creation on Weekdays

Waqar Akbar Cheema

Abstract

This article delves into an intriguing hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim, which outlines the creation of various entities on all seven weekdays. By examining the reliability of the hadith’s chain of narrators and addressing objections to its authenticity, this study presents a case for its credibility.

Moreover, the article aims to clarify any potential misconceptions regarding the hadith’s compatibility with the Qur’anic account of creation over six days (ayyam). It asserts that the hadith does not contradict the Qur’an but instead introduces an additional creation phase. Significantly, this hadith also carries a profound theological implication by challenging the notion of the Sabbath and ascribing rest to the Divine.

Drawing upon scholarly discourse, this article offers a comprehensive exploration of the Sahih Muslim hadith, enriching our understanding of the Islamic perspective on creation. It encourages readers to reconsider the significance of this narration, recognising its theological implications.

1. Introduction

Given Muslim criticism of the Creation narrative presented in the first chapter of Genesis and the solid explanation of “yawm”, meaning an unspecified period of time (possibly even an epoch) in the Qur’anic account of the same, [1]  the missionary critics of Islam have felt the pressure somehow to find new ways to attack the Islamic sources on similar lines.

What they tend to exploit is the wording of the following hadith about creation. As recorded by Muslim b. Hajjaj (d. 261/875) in his collection of authentic reports, it goes as:

حدثني سريج بن يونس، وهارون بن عبد الله، قالا: حدثنا حجاج بن محمد، قال: قال ابن جريج، أخبرني إسماعيل بن أمية، عن أيوب بن خالد، عن عبد الله بن رافع، مولى أم سلمة،

عن أبي هريرة، قال: أخذ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيدي فقال: «خلق الله عز وجل التربة يوم السبت، وخلق فيها الجبال يوم الأحد، وخلق الشجر يوم الاثنين، وخلق المكروه يوم الثلاثاء، وخلق النور يوم الأربعاء، وبث فيها الدواب يوم الخميس، وخلق آدم عليه السلام بعد العصر من يوم الجمعة، في آخر الخلق، في آخر ساعة من ساعات الجمعة، فيما بين العصر إلى الليل

Usually, it is translated as:

Suraij b. Yunus and Harun b. ‘Abdullah said: Hajjaj b. Muhammad related to us: Ibn Juraij said: Isma‘il b. Umayya informed me, on the authority of Ayub b. Khalid, on the authority of ‘Abdullah b. Rafi‘ – the freedslave of Umm Salama – on the authority of Abu Huraira, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took my hand and said: ‘Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) created the earth (al-turbah) on Saturday, and over it, He created the mountains on Sunday. He created the trees on Monday, He created things entailing labour on Tuesday, He created light on Wednesday, He scattered the animals in it on Thursday, and He created Adam, peace be upon him, after  ‘Asr  on Friday, the last of creation in the last hour of Friday, between  ‘Asr and nightfall.”[2]

It is argued by the missionaries that this hadith defines the “yawm” in the Islamic accounts of creation as a weekday and therefore puts to question the explanation offered by Muslim apologists. Moreover, they say, it raises scientific questions of the nature raised regarding the Biblical account in Genesis,[3] e.g., how the trees existed before the creation of light since photosynthesis is imperative for all life in the botanic kingdom.

Another important aspect of this hadith is that even though it is included in Sahih Muslim, some scholars have questioned its authenticity. Besides the objections to its narrative authority, it is held that it contradicts the Qur’anic declaration that the heavens and the earth were created in six days and that the earth itself was created in four days. This is important because the general educated opinion is that the hadith narrations in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are all reliable. Hadith rejecters (of both the blunt and the minced kind) and modernists tend to use this report as an inductive argument against the reliability of reports based on the study of the chain of authorities (isnad).[4] Though, in principle, questioning this hadith has to have no real fallout on the generally agreed notion of the authenticity of Muslim’s narrations, there is a danger of the ignorant ranting with this. Against this backdrop, a few studies of the hadith have come out in recent years, but none is available in English.[5] In this paper, we try to cover the gap by presenting the gist of such studies and adding to them in analysing the issues around the chain of narrators (isnad) and the content (matn) of the hadith.

2. Discussion on the chain of narrators (isnad)

Some scholars have raised questions about its chain of narrators (isnad) and argued that the hadith involves some mistake or inadvertence on the part of some narrator.

The most prominent critic of the report was al-Bukhari (d. 256/870), who quoted it in his Tarikh al-Kabir and suggested that it had come not from the Prophet (ﷺ) but from Ka‘b al-Ahbar (d. 32/652), a Jewish convert to Islam contemporary to the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) who was known to relate a lot from the Jewish tradition.

Some have said: ‘(It is reported from) Abu Huraira (who) related from Ka‘b.’ And this is more authentic (asahh).[6]

Al-Bukhari did not name the “some” who opined thus, nor did he indicate any of their evidence to this effect which is why al-Albani was not impressed by his take. [7] Another contemporary hadith scholar Muhammad ‘Awwama, notes that al-Bukhari might not have deemed the hadith altogether doubtful in the first place. He bases this contention on the fact that the word “asahh” (lit. more authentic) is not always used to denote the weakness of one report compared to the other rather, it could be about comparative strength where even the lesser one is authentic in its own right. He substantiates his point by alluding to an example of the latter from Bukhari’s Magnus Opus.[8]  That the Prophet (ﷺ) held Abu Huraira’s hand while making the statement renders the suggestion of Abu Huraira or a sub-narrator inadvertently mixing up the source rather untenable. Moreover, as discussed in the next section, the report is at odds with other statements from Ka‘b al-Ahbar.

‘Ali b. al-Madini (d. 234/849) is also said to have objected to the hadith.[9] However, it is a stretch to claim that he objected to the attribution of the hadith to the Prophet (ﷺ). His comment was limited to a particular narration of it in which successive narrators held their respective student’s hand while relating it to him. Accordingly, it cannot be deemed as doubting the content itself.[10]

While al-Bukhari and ibn al-Madini were closely related, the former being a student of the latter, they made altogether unrelated observations. This, too, suggests the weakness of the contentions of both.

It was likewise claimed that Yahya b. Ma‘in objected to this report—however, Yahya b. Ma‘in himself related the report and is not reported to have found any fault with it.[11]

Many later scholars have referred to the isnad criticism said to be made by al-Bukhari and others, besides adding that the report contradicts the six-day creation account mentioned in the Qur’an. [12]

At the same time, several scholars have accepted the hadith as authentic. They include Muslim bin Hajjaj (d. 261/875)[13], Ibn Khuzaima (d. 311/923),[14] Ibn al-Anbari (d. 328/940),[15] Ibn Hibban (d. 354/965),[16] Qadi Ibn al-‘Arabi (d. 453/1148),[17] Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597/1201),[18] ibn al-Zahiri (d. 696/1297),[19] ‘Abd al-Mu’min al-Dimyati (d. 705/1306),[20] Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi (d. 745/1344),[21] al-Sakhawi (d. 902/1497),[22] al-Shawkani (d. 1250/1834),[23] al-Alusi (d. 1270/1854),[24] al-Mu‘allimi (d. 1966),[25] Ahmad Shakir (d. 1958),[26] Mahmud Shakir (d. 1997),[27] al-Albani (d. 1999),[28] al-Heveni,[29] and Muhammad ‘Awwama.[30]

3. Why can the hadith not be from Israeliyat (Judeo-Christian traditions)?

Notwithstanding the views of the scholars critical of the report, it is highly improbable to dub this narration as one of Israeliyat because it counts Saturday among the days of creation, which contradicts the Jewish idea of the Sabbath. For this reason, it cannot be ascribed to Ka‘b al-Ahbar because his reports do consider the idea of Sabbath. Al-Tabari (d. 310/923) narrates:

عن كعب، قال: بدأ الله خلق السموات والأرض يوم الأحد والاثنين

~

Ka‘b said: “Allah started the creation with the heavens and the Earth on Sunday and Monday.”[31]

Moreover, another Jewish convert, ‘Abdullah bin Salam has reported the same.[32] Their accounts mention the beginning of creation on Sunday and ending on Friday. This is because they came from a Jewish background and related things from their knowledge of that tradition.

This is important to observe since the chain of the narrators is not such that the hadith may be overlooked and understood as fabrication or altogether baseless. On the contrary, even the scholars who criticised it said it involves some mistake or inadvertence, and therefore it was suggested that it perhaps originally came from Ka‘b. But here we see that the subject matter is such that we cannot count it as one of Israeliyat.[33] Several scholars have noted the point, including Mufti Kifayatullah Dehlawi (d. 1952),[34] al-Mu‘allimi, al-Albani, and Muhammad ‘Awwama.

4. The weekdays mentioned in the hadith vis-à-vis Six-Day Creation Qur’anic account

This creation of different objects on weekdays mentioned in this hadith does not explain the Qur’anic account of the creation of the heavens and the Earth in Six Days (sittati ayyam). This is established plainly through a version of the hadith with al-Nasa’i (d.303/915) that first mentions the creation of the heavens and the Earth in six “ayyam” (unspecified spans of time) before mentioning the creation of different things on weekdays.

عن أبي هريرة، أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أخذ بيدي قال: «يا أبا هريرة، إن الله خلق السموات والأرضين وما بينهما في ستة أيام، ثم استوى على العرش يوم السابع، وخلق التربة يوم السبت، والجبال يوم الأحد …

~

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) held my hand and said, “O Abu Huraira! Verily, Allah created the heavens, the earth, and whatever is between them in six days. Then He ascended to the Throne on the seventh day. He made the earth on Saturday and the mountains on Sunday …[35]

This shows that the hadith neither contradicts the Qur’an nor explains the “day” (yawm) in the six-day creation account. Al-Alusi, who was unaware of this narration or could not readily relate and appreciate it had to limit himself to suggesting that if not inauthentic, the Sahih Muslim report required an explanation besides its apparent meanings.[36]

On the other hand, some scholars have duly appreciated this narration and its import. Al-Albani, for instance, writes:

The six days mentioned in the Qur’an are different from the seven days mentioned in this hadith. The hadith talks about a stage from the stages of creation on the surface of the Earth until it became suitable for life. This is supported by the fact that the Qur’an says that some days (ayyam) with Allah are equal to a thousand years, and some are fifty-thousand years. So what forbids six days to be from this kind and the seven days (of hadith) to be like our days, as it is explicit in the hadith? [37]

Several scholars before and after al-Albani have likewise dismissed the idea of contradiction between the hadith of Abu Huraira and the Qur’an and reconciled the two the same way. These include al-Mu‘allimi, ‘Abdullah Sirajuddin (d. 2002),[38] and the latter’s student Muhammad ‘Awwama.[39] Another contemporary scholar Mufti Shu‘aib Ullah Miftahi from India, offered a similar explanation in his treatise on the hadith without referring to the narration with al-Nasa’i.[40] Earlier, the ingenious Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri (d. 1934) had argued likewise on maintaining a difference between the two phases of creation.[41] Another contemporary hadith expert from Pakistan, the Salafi Irshad al-Haqq al-Athari, expounded the matter likewise on the authority of al-Kashmiri and others while defending al-Albani’s take on the hadith.[42]

Most discussions on the hadith, however, do not cite Abu Ja‘far al-Nahhas (d. 338/950), who had suggested a reconciliation between this hadith and another one that counted the creation ‘days’ to be six in stating that neither account precluded the continuity of creation process before or after the time they mentioned.[43]

5. Weekdays- Days of completion of the creation of various things

Regarding the creation of things on respective weekdays, the hadith only tells us what object was completed on what day of the week without saying anything about the total time consumed. This is clear from the accounts of man’s creation, which, according to this hadith, happened on Friday. Allah says in the Qur’an:

هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الْإِنْسَانِ حِينٌ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا مَذْكُورًا

~

Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?[44]

Explaining the verse Ibn al-Jawzi writes:

He is Adam, and the time that came upon him was forty years when he was shaped out from clay, yet the spirit was not breathed into him. This is the opinion of the majority.[45]

In a narration it is stated:

عن أبي هريرة، قال: قالوا يا رسول الله متى وجبت لك النبوة؟ قال: «وآدم بين الروح والجسد»

~

Abu Huraira narrated: “They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! When was the Prophethood established for you?’ He said: ‘While Adam was between (being) soul and body.’”[46]               

This hadith explains the “period of time when Adam,” the father of humankind, “was not a thing mentioned.”[47]

And like the hadith under discussion, there are other reports about the creation of Adam on Friday narrated by Abu Huraira,[48] Aws bin Aws[49] and Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah.[50]

These hadith reports suggest that the creation of Adam was a process that continued for a certain period exceeding forty years. Therefore, narrations about the creation of Adam on Friday can be understood to mean perfection and completion of the said process.[51]

The same may be said of the creation of the things on other days mentioned in the hadith of Abu Huraira. Therefore, regardless of the time it took to create any objects, each was completed and perfected on the respective day of the week.

6. Trees created before the creation of light?

The preceding also entails that the sequence is not implied. The purpose of the hadith, it appears, is only to tell that the creation process continued all the days of a week. This is to reject the idea of God resting on Saturday and the Jewish belief in the Sabbath.

Moreover, the order of mention does not necessarily imply a sequence of creation except for the creation of Adam, which is categorically mentioned as the last of all. The conjunction “wa” (lit. and) does not imply relative order. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606/1210) reiterated this point repeatedly in his commentary. For instance, at one point, he stated:

The letter ‘waw’ denotes unrestricted conjunction and not relative order.[52]

The significance of this point, along with earlier observations, is that the hadith does not imply the creation of trees before the creation of light. It only means that in the overall Creation Plan, when the creation of trees was completed, it was a Monday, and the same in the case of light happened on a Wednesday. And as we know, every Wednesday is followed by a Monday of the subsequent week. So the purpose of the hadith is not to describe the sequential plan of creation but only to tell us that something was created and perfected every day of the week regardless of the order and the intervening period between the (perfection of the) creation of those different things.[53]

Moreover, “nur” does not necessarily mean “light.” Explaining “makruh” and “nur”, Ibn al-Athir al-Jazri (d. 606/1210) said:

“al-Makruh”: Opposite of the liked. Here it means evil as the hadith further says, “And He created al-nur on Wednesday.” Nur is goodness.[54]

As per this interpretation, the hadith would mean, “He created the trees on Monday, He created the evil on Tuesday, He created the goodness on Wednesday,”

This understanding makes the question of trees coming into existence before light altogether irrelevant.

7. Intended purpose of the hadith

It is imperative to understand that the sayings of the Prophet always have some point to make regarding beliefs and ethics. Therefore, mentioning different facts about physical phenomena is only for bringing out such a point. Shah Wali Ullah of Dehli (d. 1762) observed:

In their conduct (the prophets) did not occupy themselves with what had no relevance for refining the soul and the governing of the community. They did not explain the events of the atmosphere like rain, eclipses, rings around the sun or moon, the wonders of plants and animals, the measurement of the paths of the sun and moon, the causes of daily events, and the stories of the prophets, kings, countries and so on, unless they used simple words with which their audience was familiar, and that their minds would accept if these were used to remind them of the blessings of God and the requital of God, unless this was by way of digression into a general discussion which is permitted in cases like this, through introducing metaphors and similes. This was basically the case when they asked the Prophet about the reasons for the waxing and waning of the moon, and God the Exalted turned from that to the explanation of the benefits of that waning and waxing, and said, “They ask you about the new moons, say they are times appointed for the people and the pilgrimages.” (Qur’an 2:189) You may see many people whose taste is corrupted because of familiarity with these (technical) fields, or due to other causes, so that they apply the words of the prophets to things to which they did not refer, and God knows better.[55]

Scholars have thus explained the intended purpose of the hadith in a relatable way. For example, Abu al-Qasim as-Suhaili (d. 581/1185), in his commentary on Ibn Hisham’s edition of Ibn Ishaq’s work, stated:

The Jews specified Saturday, for they believed it was the seventh day. Moreover, they increased their blasphemy by saying that Allah rested on this day -Allah is exalted above what they say! This is because, according to them, creation started on Sunday, and Friday was the last of the six days on which Allah created things. The same is the stance of the Christians. They specified Sunday because, to them, it was the first of the days. And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) testified that both Jews and Christians had missed the day (decreed initially to be specified in the True Revealed Religion). He, as in Sahih Muslim, said: “Allah created earth on Saturday.”[56]

Al-Munawi (d. 1031/1622) made the same point.[57] Ahmad ‘Abdur-Rahman al-Banna as-Sa‘ati (d. 1958) likewise commented:

The mention of the creation of Earth on Saturday is the rejection of the Jewish belief that Allah started the creation of the universe on Sunday, finished it on Friday and then rested on Saturday (Sabbath). Instead, they say, ‘We rest on this day as God rested.’ This is from their ignorance, for fatigue can affect only the non-Eternal (i.e. it cannot affect God).[58]

8. Answer further objections and queries

Having positively described the meanings of the hadith, let’s now turn to answering the objections and queries about the hadith.

8.1 Objection that the hadith contradicts Qur’an

Some have objected that the hadith contradicts the Qur’an for it counts seven days of creation, whereas Qur’an mentions it happened in six ‘ayyam’ (lit. days)

It has already been stated that the hadith neither explains the Qur’anic ‘days’ nor contradicts that account. This is an independent narrative aimed at a particular purpose. All this has been deliberated upon above.

8.2 It contradicts other hadith reports

It is also said that it opposes another hadith report recorded by al-Tabari, which tells that the creation of earth took place on Sunday and Monday and which, in total, counts six days of creation, i.e., Sunday to Friday. Al-Tabari writes:

Now then, this being so, there is (also) a sound tradition from the Messenger of God told us by Hannad b. al-Sari, who also said that he read all of the hadith (to Abu Bakr)- Abu Bakr b. ‘Ayyash- Abu Sa’d al-Baqqal- ‘Ikrimah- Ibn ‘Abbas: The Jews came to the Prophet and asked him about the creation of the heavens and the earth. He said: God created the earth on Sunday and Monday. He created the mountains and the uses they possess on Tuesday. On Wednesday, He created trees, water, cities and the cultivated barren land. These are four (days). He continued (citing the Qur’an): ‘Say: Do you really not believe in the One Who created the earth in two days, and set up others like Him? That is the Lord of the worlds. He made it firmly anchored (mountains) above it and blessed it and decreed that it contain the amount of food it provides, (all) in four days, equally for those asking’- for those who ask. On Thursday, He created heaven. On Friday, He created the stars, the sun, the moon, and the angels, until three hours remained. In the first of these three hours He created the terms (of human life), who would live and who would die. In the second, He cast harm upon everything that is useful for mankind. And in the third, (He created) Adam and had him dwell in Paradise. He commanded Iblis to prostrate himself before Adam, and He drove Adam out of Paradise at the end of the hour. When the Jews asked: What then, Muhammad? He said: ‘Then He sat straight upon the Throne.’ The Jews said: You are right, if you had finished, they said, with: Then He rested. Whereupon the Prophet got very angry, and it was revealed: ‘We have created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, and fatigue did not touch Us. Thus be patient with what you say.'”[59]

Even though al-Tabari suggests that this narration is sound, it is not. Several scholars have graded it as dubious. Al-Dhahabi (d. 748/1348), in his annotations to al-Mustadrak, points out the problem with its chain of narrators, “Abu Sa‘d al-Baqqal: Ibn Ma‘in said, ‘his narrations are not to be written.’”[60]

The editor of Abu al-Shaikh al-Asbahani’s  (d.369/979) al-‘Azama also graded it as da‘if (weak) for the same reason.[61] Likewise, the critical edition of al-Tabari’s work on history also counts it as a weak report.[62]

Al-Suhaili taking evidence from the subject hadith of Abu Huraira, contends against al-Tabari’s position:

The hadith with which al-Tabari sought evidence is unlike the one we have brought forward.[63]

This highlight of the weakness of al-Tabari’s report also frustrates the attempts of missionary critics of Islam who use it to superimpose the 24-hour day interpretation of “yawm” (lit. day) to the Qur’anic accounts of the creation of heavens and the earth in six ‘days’ (ayyam).

8.3 Objection that the hadith goes against the consensus

As stated by al-Tabari, the alleged agreement is that the creation started on Sunday, while this hadith begins with mentioning the earth on Saturday. Firstly, as mentioned earlier, at least for this hadith, no sequence is established. Therefore, the point is irrelevant for this hadith.

Moreover, the claim of consensus (ijma’) is very much questionable. Besides Ibn Ishaq (d. 151/768) contending against the position al-Tabari took, Abu Bakr Ibn al-Anbari claimed consensus (ijma‘) on creation starting on Saturday.[64] True that Ibn Taimiyya (d. 728/1328) questioned Ibn al-Anbari’s claim, but it nevertheless refutes the consensus suggestion made by al-Tabari.

8.4 The hadith does not mention the creation of the Heavens

It is also argued that while Qur’an mentions the creation of heavens within the six days, this hadith does not mention the creation of heavens. This objection again misses the point that the hadith under consideration is not expounding upon the six-day creation account of the Qur’an. Also, it no way gives an elaborate and detailed description of creation that it must mention the creation of the heavens.

8.5 Creation of Earth happened in two days, according to Qur’an

Another objection can be about the creation of the earth; while Qur’an says it happened in two days,[65] this hadith says it happened on Saturday.  This is, once again, answered by recounting two primary positions taken in the explanation above 1) the hadith is in no way related to Qur’anic accounts of creation, and 2) it only tells when on what weekdays the span of creation of each of the objects mentioned was completed. It may also be added that to some scholars, the word “turbah” does not mean earth; instead, it refers to mud or clay.[66] Going by this view, the objection would be irrelevant.

8.6 The suggested interpretation involves the Fallacy of Equivocation

Lest one says the interpretation offered above involves the Fallacy of Equivocation, it should be noted that the meaning of the word “yawm” is unrestricted. Still, once specific weekdays (e.g., yawm al-ahad = Sunday) are mentioned, it is taken in its evident restricted sense. The variance, therefore, follows restricted/specific and unrestricted/unspecific usage.

9. Conclusion

The authenticity of this hadith of Abu Huraira though questioned by some, has been affirmed by many scholars.

The hadith does not contradict Qur’an nor define ‘yawm’ in the Qur’anic accounts of the creation.

The hadith neither gives an elaborate plan nor the creation sequence of different things.  Likewise, it does not provide the span of creation of any of the things mentioned. It only tells us what day of the week creation of different things was completed and perfected, as clear from the collective understanding of hadith reports about the creation of Adam. The same shall apply to the creation of other things mentioned in the hadith.

As it appears, the purpose of the hadith is only to reject and refute the Judeo-Christian belief of the Sabbath.

Notes & References:

[1] That “yawm” can mean a very long span of time is established. E.W. Lane writes: “time absolutely, whether night or not, little or not: this is the proper signification;”(Arabic-English Lexicon, 3064). Hans Wher says; “also: age, era, time …” (A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 1110) Raghib al-Isfahani said the same. See, al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Qur’an, (Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 1412 AH) 894. For a detailed treatment of the subject see, Bucaille, Dr Maurice, The Bible, the Qur’an, and Science, (New York: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., 2003) 140-143

[2] Muslim bin Hajjaj, al-Sahih, (Beirut: Resalah Publishers, 2016) Hadith 7054 (27-2789); it is also related in Ahmad b. Hanbal, al-Musnad, (Beirut: Resalah Publishers, 2001) Hadith 8341; Yahya b. Ma‘in, al-Tarikh li-Yahya bin Ma‘in –  Riwayat al-Duri,  (Makkah: Markaz al-Bahth al-‘Ilmi, 1979) no. 210; al-Bazzar, Abu Bakr, al-Musnad, (Madina: Maktaba al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam, 2006) Vol.15, 35 Hadith 8228; al-Nasa’i, Sunan al-Kubra, (Beirut: Resalah Publishers, 2001)  Hadith 10943; al-Mawsali, Abu Ya‘la, al-Musnad, (Damascus: Dar al-Ma’mun li al-Turath, 1984) Hadith 6132; al-Tabari, Abu Ja’far, Jami‘ al-Bayan fi Tafsir ay al-Qur’an, Ed. Mahmud Muhammad Shakir (Beirut: al-Resalah Publishers, 2000) Vol.15, 244-245 no. 17971; al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, (Beirut: Dar al-Turath, 1387 AH) Vol.1, 23, 45; al-Dawlabi, Abu Bishr, al-Asma’ wa al-Kuna, (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm, 2000) Hadith 982; Ibn Khuzaima, al-Sahih, (Beirut: Maktab al-Islami, 2003) Hadith 1731; al-Razi, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azim, (Makkah: Maktaba al-Baz, 1419 AH) Vol.1, 74 no. 304; al-Busti, Ibn Hibban, al-Sahih, (Beirut: Resalah Publishers, 1993) Hadith 616; al-Tabarani, Abu al-Qasim, Mu‘jam al-Awst, (Cairo: Dar al-Haramain, n.d.) Hadith 3232;  al-Asbahani, Abu al-Shaikh, al-‘Azama, (Riyadh: Dar al-‘Asima, 1408 AH) Vol.4, 1358-1361 Hadith 875-876; Ibn Manda, al-Tawhid, (Madina: Maktaba al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam, 2006) Hadith 54; al-Baihaqi, Abu Bakr, al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat, (Jeddah: Maktaba al-Sawadi, 1993) Hadith 36, 812; al-Baihaqi, Sunan al-Kubra, (Beirut: DKI, 2003) Hadith 17705; al-Baghdadi, Khatib, Tarikh Madina al-Islam, (Beirut: Dar al-Gharb al-Islami, 2002) Vol.6, 420 no. 1849

[3] Bucaille, Dr Maurice, The Bible, the Qur’an, and Science, 42-45

[4] Abu Rayyah, Mahmud, Adwa’ ‘ala al-Sunnah al-Muhammadiya, 6^th ed. (Cairo: Dar al-Ma‘arif, n.d.) 182; Khan, Israr Ahmad, “The Qur’an as a Criterion for Hadith-text Examination”, Islamic Perspective, (London: London Academy of Iranian Studies, 2010) 4: 300

[5] These include, Al-Sindi, ‘Abdul Qadir b. Habib Ullah, “Izala al-shubha ‘an hadith al-turbah” in Mujalla al-Jami‘a al-Islamiyya, (Madina, 1401 AH) 49:29-39, 50-51: 47-62; al-Marsafi, Dr Sa‘d, Adwa’ ‘ala hadith khalaq Allah al-turbah, (Kuwait: Maktaba al-Manar al-Islamiyya, 1994) 5-44; al-Jadawi, Dr Ahmad al-Sayyid, “Hadith al-turbah bain al-qubul wa al-radd: dirasah hadithia”, Mujalla Kulliyat al-Dirasat al-Islamiyya wa al-‘Arabiyya li al-Binat, (Alexandria: 2016) 32 (7): 323-390; and last but surely not the least, ‘Awwama, Muhammad, Hal fi hadith “khalaq Allah al-turbah yawm al-sabt” ishkal?! – Dirasa al-Aqwal fihi wa tashihu sanadan wa matnan (Jeddah: Dar al-Minhaj, 2017)

[6] al-Bukhari, Muhammad bin Isma’il, al-Tarikh al-Kabir, (Riyadh: al-Mutamayyiz, 2019) Vol.2, 171

[7] al-Albani, Nasir al-Din, Silsala Ahadith al-Sahiha, (Riyadh: Maktaba al-Ma‘arif, 1995) Vol.4, 449 (Hadith 1833)

[8] ‘Awwama, Muhammad, Hal fi hadith “khalaq Allah al-turbah yawm al-sabt” ishkal?!, ,18. He cites Bukhari’s comments under Hadith 2718 in al-Sahih. See also; al-Marsafi, Adwa’ ‘ala hadith khalaq Allah al-turbah, 41

[9] al-Baihaqi, Abu Bakr, al-Asma‘ wa al-Sifat, Vol.2, 256

[10] ‘Awwama, Muhammad, Hal fi hadith “khalaq Allah al-turbah yawm al-sabt” ishkal?!, 17

[11] Yahya b. Ma‘in, al-Tarikh li-Yahya bin Ma‘in –  Riwayat al-Duri no. 210; al-Dawlabi, al-Asma’ wa al-Kuna, Hadith 982;

[12]Al-Qurtubi, Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad b. Ahmad, al-Jami‘ li Ahkam al-Qur’an, (Beirut: Al-Resalah Publishers, 2006) Vol.8, 314-315; Vol.18, 399; Ibn Taimiyya, Majmu‘a al-Fatawa, Vol.1, 256; Vol.17, 235-236; Vol.18, 18-19, 73; Ibn Kathir, ‘Imad al-Din, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim, (Beirut: DKI, 1998) Vol.1,123; Ibn al-Qayyim, Shams al-Din, al-Manar al-Munif fi al-Sahih wa al-Da‘if, Ed. ‘Abdul Fattah Abu Ghoddah (Halab: Maktab al-Matbu ‘at al-Islamiyya, 1970) 84-85; Al-Qarshi, Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul Qadir, al-Jawahir al-Mudi‘a fi Tabaqat al-Hanafiyya, (Cairo: Hijr li al-Tab‘ah, 1993) Vol.4, 568. Shafi‘, Muhammad, Ma‘arif al-Qur’an, (Karachi: Makataba Ma‘arif al-Qur’an, 2008) Vol.7, 636. These include a prominent recent hadith critic Shu‘aib al-Arna’ut as well. See Al-Arna’ut, (ed.)/ Ahmad b. Hanbal, al-Musnad, Hadith 8341.

[13] As he included it in his “sahih” work and as the only report in its chapter. See note 2 above. See also, ‘Awwama, Muhammad, Hal fi hadith “khalaq Allah al-turbah yawm al-sabt” ishkal?!, 10.

[14] As he included it in his “sahih” collection. See note 2 above.

[15] Ibn al-Anbari, Abu Bakr, al-Zahir fi Ma‘ani Kalimat al-Nas, (Beirut: Al-Reslah Publishers, 1992) Vol.2, 138; Ibn al-Jawzi, Zad al-Maysar fi ‘Ilm at-Tafsir, (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi, 1402 AH) Vol.2, 127; cf Ibn Taimiyya, Majmu‘a al-Fatawa, Vol.18, 18

[16] All the narrations in his collection were authentic according to him. See note 2 above.

[17] Ibn al-‘Arabi, Qadi Abu Bakr, Ahkam al-Qur’an, (Beirut: DKI, 2003) Vol.4, 83

[18] Ibn al-Jawzi, Abu al-Faraj, al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk, (Beirut: DKI, 1992) Vol. 1, 123-124; Ibn al-Jawzi, Zad al-Maysar fi ‘Ilm at-Tafsir, Vol.4, 46;

[19] Ibn al-Zahiri, Ahmad b. Muhammad b. ‘Abdullah, Mashaikha Ibn al-Bukhari, (Makkah: Dar ‘Alam al-Fu’ad, 1419 AH) Vol.3, 1798-1799

[20] Al-Dimyati, ‘Abd al-Mu’min b. Khalf, Kashf al-Mughatta fi Tabyin al-Salat al-Wusta, (Tanta: Dar al-Sahaba li al-Turath, 1989) 79

[21] Al-Andalusi, Abu Hayyan, al-Bahr al-Muhit fi at-Tafsir, (Beirut: Dar al-Fekr, 1420 AH) Vol.5, 64-65

[22] al-Sakhawi, Shams al-Din, Al-Jawahir Al-Mukallala fi Al-Akhbar Al-Musalsala, (Tangier: Dar al-Hadith al-Kittaniyya, 2012) 295; Al-Sakhawi, Fath al-Mughith bi Sharh Alfiyya al-Hadith, (Cairo: Maktaba al-Sunna, 2003) Vol.4, 41

[23]Al-Shawkani, Muhammad bin ‘Ali, Fath al-Qadir, (Damascus: Dar Ibn Kathir, 1414 AH) Vol.1, 73

[24] Al-Alusi, Shahab al-Din Mahmud, Ruh al-Ma‘ani fi Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azim wa Sab‘a al-Mathani, (Beirut: DKI, 1415 AH) Vol.12, 358. Here his comment was focused on the isnad aspect. As for his take on the content of the report, see below.

[25] al-Mu‘allimi, Abdul Rahman bin Yahya, al-Anwar al-Kashifa, (Beirut: Alam al-Kutab, 1986) Vol.1, 188-193

[26] Ahmad Shakir (ed.), Musnad Ahmad, (Cairo: Dar al-Hadith, 1995) Vol.8, 282 Hadith 8323

[27] al-Tabari, Jami‘ al-Bayan fi Tafsir ay al-Qur’an, Ed. Mahmud Muhammad Shakir (Beirut: al-Resalah Publishers, 2000) Vol.15, 244-245 no. 17971

[28] al-Albani, Nasir al-Din, Silsala Ahadith al-Sahiha, Vol.4, 449 No. 1833, Vol.2, 725-727; al-Tabrizi, Muhammad b. ‘Abdullah, Mishkat al-Masabih, ed. Al-Albani, (Damascus: Maktab al-Islami, 1979) Vol.3, 1597-1598 Hadith 5734

[29] al-Heveni, Abu Ishaq (ed.), Tafsir Ibn Kathir, (Riyadh: Dar Ibn al-Jawzi, 1417 AH) Vol.2, 230-233

[30] ‘Awwama, Muhammad, Hal fi hadith “khalaq Allah al-turbah yawm al-sabt” ishkal?!, esp. p. 11

[31] al-Tabari, Jami‘ al-Bayan fi Tafsir ay al-Qur’an, Vol.15, 245 no. 17973; al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, Vol.1, 44, Translated in Rosenthal, Franz, The History of al–Tabari, Volume 1- General Introduction and from the Creation to the Flood, (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989) 211; Ibn Abi Shaiba, al-Musannaf, Ed. Muhammad ‘Awwama (Beirut: Dar Qurtuba, 2006) no. 37125

[32] al-Asbahani, Abu al-Shaikh, al-‘Azama, Vol.4, 1366, 1368-69; al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, Vol.1, 23, 43-44, 47; Al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din, al-‘Uluw li-‘Aliy al-Ghaffar, (Riyadh: Maktaba Adwa’ al-Salaf, 1995) Hadith 312; the report is sahih

[33] Twakkal, Abd Alfatah, Ka’b al-Ahbar and the Isra’iliyyat in the Tafsir Literature (Master’s thesis at McGill University 2007) 52-53

[34] Dehlawi, Kifayat Ullah, Kifayat al-Mufti, (Karachi, Darul Isha’t, 2001) Vol.2, 148-149

[35] al-Nasa‘i, Ahmad bin ‘Abdur-Rahman, Sunan al-Kubra, Hadith 11328;  al-Albani graded it as jayyid (good). See, Mushtasar al-‘Uluw, (Damascus: Maktab al-Islami, 1981) 111-112

[36] Al-Alusi, Ruh al-Ma‘ani, Vol.4, 372-373; but later in his tafsir he argues for the authenticity of the hadith. See note 24 above.

[37] al-Albani, (ed.)/ al-Tabrizi, Mishkat al-Masabih, Vol.3, 1597-1598 Hadith 5734

[38] Sirajuddin, ‘Abdullah, Huda al-Qur’an al-Karim ila Ma‘rifat al-‘Awalim wa al-Tafakkur fi al-Akwan, (Aleppo: Dar al-Falah, 1991) 26

[39] ‘Awwama, Muhammad, Hal fi hadith “khalaq Allah al-turbah yawm al-sabt” ishkal?!, 12-13

[40] Miftahi, Shu‘aib Ullah, Hadith-i-Takhliq: Aik Mutali‘a, (Bangalore: Jamia Islamia Maseehul Uloom, n.d.) 22-35

[41] Al-Kashmiri, Anwar Shah, Faid al-Bari bi-Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, (Beirut: DKI, 2005) Vol.2, 415-416; also Bijnori, Ahmad Rada, Malfuzat Muhaddith Kashmiri, (Multan: Idara Taleefat-i-Ashrafiyya, 1431 AH) 315-316

[42] Athari, Irshad al-Haqq, Maqalat, (Faisalabad: Idara ‘Ulum al-Athariyya, 2023) Vol.7, 281-290

[43] Al-Nahhas, Abu Ja‘far, ‘Umdat al-Kuttab, (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm, 2004)  88-89

[44] Qur’an 76:1

[45] Ibn al-Jawzi, Abu al-Faraj, Zad al-Maysar fi ‘ilm at-Tafsir, Vol.4, 374

[46] At-Tirmidhi, Abu ‘Isa, al-Sunan, (Riyadh: Maktaba al-Ma‘arif, n.d.) Hadith 3609 Classified as sahih by al-Albani

[47] Ibn Taimiyyah, Taqi al-Din Ahmad, “Haqiqat madhhab al-itihadiyin” included in Majmu‘a Rasa’il wa Masa’il, ed. Syed Muhammad Rashid Rida (Makkah: Dar al-Baz, n.d.) Vol.4, 8-9, see also; al-Tahawi, Abu Ja’far, Sharh Mushkil al-Athar, (Beirut: al-Resalah, 1994) Vol.15, 233-234

[48] Muslim bin Hajjaj, al-Sahih, Hadith 1976 (854-17)

[49] al-Sijistani, Abu Dawud, al-Sunan,  (Riyadh: Maktaba al-Ma‘arif, n.d.) Hadith 1047 Classified as sahih by al-Albani

[50] Ahmad bin Hanbal, al-Musnad, Hadith 22457 Authenticated by Shu’aib  al-Arna‘ut

[51] I say it is about completion/perfection of the creation because some reports about creation of Adam say on Friday the spirit was infused into him which obviously marked the completion of his creation. (cf. Qur’an 15:28-29) Al-‘Aini (d. 855/1451) commenting to a hadith on the virtues of Friday reported from Abu Huraira, said:

قوله:” فيه خلق اَدمُ” المراد منه: نفخ الروح فيه. قال العزيزي: تلج في آدم الروحُ يوم الجمعة

“The words ‘Adam was created on this day’ mean ‘the Spirit was infused into him on this day’. Al-‘Azizi said, ‘The spirit was infused into Adam on Friday.’” , See, Sharh Sunan Abu Dawud, (Riyadh: Maktaba al-Rushd, 1999) Vol.4, 362

Use of the word “khalaq” does not preclude this interpretation for it has been used for all the various stages of human creation. See, for instance, Qur’an 4:1, 23:12-14 and 39:6

[52] Al-Razi, Fakhr al-Din, Mafatih al-Ghayb, (Beirut: Dar Ihya’ al-Turath, 1420 AH) Vol.8, 319, also see Vol.2, 438; Vol.6, 516; Vol.8, 206, 218, 238 etc.

[53] Al-Mazhari (d. 1810) noted that the Friday mentioned regarding the creation of Adam might have been ages later than the creation of the earth. See, al-Mazhari, Thana’ Ullah, al-Tafsir, (Quetta: Maktaba al-Rashidiyya, 1412 AH) Vol.1, 49

[54] al-Jazri, Ibn al-Athir, Jami‘ al-Usul fi Ahadith al-Rasul, (Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir, 2016) Vol.3, 17

[55] Wali Ullah, Shah, Hujjat Allah al-Baligha- The Conclusive Argument from God, Translated by Marcia K. Hermansen, (Islamabad: Islamic Research Institute, 2003) 256

[56] al-Suhaili, Abu al-Qasim, Rawd al-Unuf, (Beirut: Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi, 2000) Vol.4, 57

[57] Al-Munawi, Zain al-Din Muhammad ‘Abdul Ra’uf, al-Taysir bi Sharh Jami‘ al-Saghir, (Riyadh: Maktaba al-Imam al-Shafi‘i. 1988) Vol.1, 517;  Al-Munawi, Fath al-Qadir Sharh Jami‘ al-Saghir, (Cairo: Maktaba al-Tijariya al-Kubra, 1356 AH )  Vol.3, 447

[58] Al-Sa‘ati, Ahmad Abdur-Rahman, Bulugh al-Amani min Asrar al-Fath al-Rabbani, (Amman: Bait al-Afkar al-Dawliyya, 2005) Vol.3, 3620

[59] al-Tabari, Abu Ja’far, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, Vol.1, 22, Translated in Rosenthal, Franz, The History of al–Tabari, Volume 1- General Introduction and from the Creation to the Flood, 187-188

[60] Al-Hakim, Abu ‘Abdullah, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihain, (Damascus: Dar al-Minhaj al-Qawim, 2018) Vol.5, 171-172 Hadith 4039

[61] Al-Asbahani, Abu al-Shaikh, al-‘Azama, Ed. Ridaullah al-Mubarakpuri, Vol.4, 1362-163 Hadith 878

[62] al-Barzinji, Muhammad b. Tahir; Hallaq, Muhammad Subhi Hassan, Da‘if Tarikh at-Tabari, (Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir, 2007) Vol.1, 9 No.12

[63] al-Suhaili, Abu al-Qasim, Rawd al-Unuf, Vol.4, 60

[64] Ibn al-Jawzi, Zad al-Maysar, Vol.2, 127; al-Andalusi, Abu Hayyan, al-Bahr al-Muhit, Vol.5, 64

[65] Qur’an, 41:9

[66] Al-Albani, Nasir al-Din, Silsala al-Ahadith al-Da‘ifa wa al-Mawdu‘a, (Riyadh: Maktaba Ma‘arif, 1994)  Vol.11, 818; al-Bahnasawi, Salim Ali, al-Sunna al-Muftara ‘Alaiha, (Cairo: Dar al-Wafa’, 1989) 351