He placed on the earth firm mountains, standing high, showered His blessings upon it, and ordained ˹all˺ its means of sustenance—totaling four Days exactly1—for all who ask.
He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, 4471 high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, 4472 in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (Sustenance). 4473
4471 Cf. 13:3 and 16:15 , n. 2038. High above it: the highest mountains are 29,000 feet above sea level, and the lowest depths of the bottom of the ocean are 31,600 feet below sea level, so that the vertical difference between the highest and lowest points on the solid crust of the earth is about 11.5 miles. The highland areas are the main sources of the water supply in all the regions of the earth, and vegetable and animal life depends on water supply.
4472 See n. 4470 above.
4473 Sa'ilin may mean either (1) those who seek, or (2) those who ask or enquire. If the former meaning-is adopted, the clause means that everything is apportioned to the needs and appetites of Allah's creatures, If the latter, it means that the needs of enquirers are sufficiently met by what is stated here.
For He [it is who, after creating the earth,] placed firm mountains on it, [towering] above its surface, and bestowed [so many] blessings on it, and equitably apportioned 9 its means of subsistence to all who would seek it: [and all this He created] in four aeons. 10
9 I.e., in accordance with divine justice, and not with human concepts of "equity" or "need".
10 Almost all the classical commentators agree in that these "four aeons include the "two" mentioned in the preceding verse: hence my interpolation of the words "and all this He created". Together with the "two aeons of verse 12, the entire allegorical number comes to six.
1 These four Days include the first two, so the total period of creation is six heavenly Days.