وَكَانَ مِنِ اقْتِدَارِ جَبَروتِهِ،
It is through the strength of Allah's greatness
وَبَدِيعِ لَطَائِفِ صَنْعَتِهِ،
and His subtle power of innovation
أَنْ جَعَلَ مِنْ مَاءِ الْبَحْرِ الزَّاخِرِ الْمُتَرَاكِمِ الْمُتَقَاصِفِ،
that He made solid dry earth out of the water of the fathomless,
يَبَساً جَامِداً،
compact and dashing ocean.
ثُمَّ فَطَرَ مِنْهُ أَطْبَاقاً،
Then He made from it layers
فَفَتَقَهَا سَبْعَ سَمَاوَات بَعْدَ ارْتِتَاقِهَا،
and separated them into seven skies after they had been joined together.
فَاسْتَمْسَكَتْ بِأَمْرِهِ،
So, they became stationary at His command
وَقَامَتْ عَلَى حَدِّهِ،
and stopped at the limit fixed by Him.
[وَأَرْسَى أَرْضاً] يَحْمِلُهَا الاْخْضَرُ المُثْعَنْجِرُ،
He so made the earth that it is born by deep blue,
وَالْقَمْقَامُ الْمُسَخَّرُ،
surrounded and suspended water
قَدْ ذَلَّ لاِمْرِهِ،
which is obedient to His command
وَأَذْعَنَ لِهَيْبَتِهِ،
and has submitted to His awe
وَوَقَفَ الْجَارِي مِنْهُ لِخَشْيَتِهِ،
while its flow has stopped due to fear of Him.
وَجَبَلَ جَلاَمِيدَهَا،
He also created its high hills,
وَنُشُوزَ مُتُونِهَا وَأَطْوَادِهَا،
rocks of stones and lofty mountains.
فَأَرْسَاهَا في مَرَاسِيهَا،
He put them in their positions
وَأَلْزَمَهَا قَرَارَاتِهَا،
and made them remain stationary.
فَمَضَتْ رُؤُسُهَا فِي الْهَوَاءِ،
Their peaks rose into the air
وَرَسَتْ أُصُولُهَا فِي الْمَاءِ،
while their roots remained in the water.
فَأَنْهَدَ جِبَالَهَا عَنْ سُهُولِهَا،
In this way He raised the mountains above the plains
وَأَسَاخَ قَوَاعِدَهَا فِي متُونِ أَقْطَارِهَا، وَمَوَاضِعِ أَنْصَابِهَا،
and fixed their foundations in the vast expanse wherever they stood.
فَأشْهَقَ قِلاَلَهَا،
He made their peaks high
وَأَطَالَ أَنْشَازَهَا،
and made their bodies lofty.
وَجَعَلَهَا لِلاْرْضِ عِمَاداً،
He made them like pillars for the earth
وَأَرَّزَهَا فِيهَا أَوْتَاداً،
and fixed them in it like pegs.
فَسَكَنَتْ عَلَى حَرَكَتِهَا
Consequently, the earth became stationary;
مِن أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِأَهْلِهَا،
otherwise it might bend with its inhabitants
أَوْ تَسِيخَ بِحِمْلِهَا،
or sink inwards with its burden,
أَوْ تَزُولَ عَنْ مَواضِعِهَا.
or shift from its positions.
فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ أَمْسَكَهَا بعَدَ مَوَجَانِ مِيَاهِهَا،
Therefore, Glorified is He who made it firm after the surging of its waters
وَأَجْمَدَهَا بَعْدَ رُطُوبَةِ أَكْنَافِهَا،
and solidified it after the watery state of its sides.
فَجَعَلَهَا لِخَلْقِهِ مِهَاداً،
In this way He made it a cradle for His creatures
وَبَسَطَهَا لَهُمْ فِرَاشاً!
and spread it for them in the form of a floor
فَوْقَ بَحْر لُجِّيّ رَاكِد لاَ يَجْرِي،
over the deep ocean which is stationary
وَقَائِم لاَ يَسْرِي،
and does not move and is fixed and does not flow.
تُكَرْكِرُهُ الرِّيَاحُ الْعَوَاصِفُ،
Severe winds move it here and there
وَتَمْخُصُهُ الْغَمَامُ الذَّوَارِفُ،
and clouds draw up water from it.
(إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَى)
Verily in this there is a lesson unto him who feareth (Allah) (Qur'an, 79:26)
Alternative Sources for Sermon 211: Al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, I, bab al-sama' wa al-kawakib; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, I, 27 (a.z.r).
