certain time out of a certain thing, which He made. He tells us his condition before the creation of the universe, "His throne was above the waters."[1] He also says, "Verily your Lord is God who created the heavens and the earth in six days,"[2] and "Then He set His mind to the creation of the heavens, and it was smoke."[3] In addition to these there are other verses of the Book, pertaining to this subject. So it is incumbent that nothing out of them should be interpreted for the common people, and nothing should be presented to them in explaining it but this illustration. For one who changes it, makes the wisdom of the Law useless. If it be said that the Law teaches about the universe that it is created, and made out of nothing and in no time, then it is a thing which even the learned cannot understand, not to speak of the common people. So we should not deviate in this matter of the Law, from the method laid down in it
