Assalamualykum.
[Quran 41.9-12] Say: "Is it that you deny Him [Allah] who created Earth in two days? And you claim others to be equal to Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds." 10 He set on it (Earth) mountains, and bestowed it with blessings. And [Allah] estimated all its sustenance in four days, equally for those who ask (prayers) 11 Then [Allah] commanded the heaven and it was still smoke. He said to it and to Earth: "Come together, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do come together, in willing obedience". 12 So [Allah] decreed them as seven heavens (one above the other) in two days and revealed to each heaven its orders. And We [Allah] adorned the lowest heaven with lights, and protection. Such is the decree of the Exalted; the Knowledgeable.
Here it says God set on Earth mountains and then he commanded the heaven to come with the earth. And SO Allah decreed them as seven heavens.
Lets assume that "thumma" in the above verse means "moreover", on verse 12 it says "so" Allah decreed them as seven heavens! That means that the Earth and the universe came together SO Allah decreed them as 7 heavens. Doesn't this illustrate a sequence of events? The heavens and the earth came together and THEN Allah made them as 7 heavens?
So "heavens" doesn't mean universe in that verse and all other verses, right?
Please help!
Brother in the above verses Allah is talking about two different creations. Allah says in verses 9 and 10 that He created the earth in 2 days. And set mountains on it, estimated all its sustenance in 4 days. That means earth was created in total 6 days.
Then in verses 11 and 12 Allah says moreover He created the seven heavens in 2 days. The Arabic word ''THUMMAH" means, then or moreover. If we translate it as moreover then it will contradict verse 30 of Chapter No-21 and some other verses, where Allah says Heaven and the Earth came into being simultaneously.
The Heavens and the Earth were created in total 6 days. While the creation of Heaven was going on, the construction of the earth was also continuing. Out of 6 days, in 2 days the construction of the Heaven was completed and it took entire 6 days for complete construction of the Earth. Though Earth was created in 2 days along with the heaven as we are the creature of the Earth, Allah told us more about its construction in detail.
Allah says:
"And we have created the Heavens and Earth and EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN in six days and We were not touched by fatigue."(50:38)
"And your Lord, Allah, who created the Heavens and the Earth in six days and then settled on the Throne..."(7:54)
So, we can conclude that the creation of the Heavens was done in 2 days, while it took 6 days to complete construction of the Earth .In total it took total 6 days to construct the earth and the Heaven as earth is a part of heaven. Further, the above verses prove that Earth was not created individually, rather along with the Heaven. Please read the below articles:
http://www.speed-light.info/miracles_of_quran/age_of_universe.htmhttp://www.miraclesofthequran.com/scientific_33.htmlhttp://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/my_04.htmhttp://www.parsquran.com/eng/subject/6days.htmAllah knows the best.
Take Care.