179. In how many days was the world created?

These verses (7:54, 10:3, 11:7, 25:59, 32:4, 41:9,10, 41:12, 50:38, 57:4) of the Quran talk about the number of days it took to create earth, the heavens, and those in between .Though the above cited verses seem to contradict each other when superficially viewed ,the fact is not so.

In verses ( 7:54, 10:3, 11:7, 57:4) of the Quran it talks about heaven and earth being created in six days. 

 Verse (41:9) of the Quran talks about the earth being created in two days and in verse (41:12) about the heavens being created in two days.totalling up to four days for the creation of the heavens and earth.Whereas in the other verses of the Quran, the statement is it took six days for the creation for both thus contradicting itself.This is the question raised by those trying to find fault with the Quran.

Superficially seen there seems to be a contradiction, but there are certain other verses that belies the contradictions in these verses and the Quran offers explanations to them. 

The planet earth was created in two days And it needed a lot of arrangements.to make the planet livable to man, such as plants to be grown, with the arrangement for groundwater, with mountains as pegs etc. The Quran says to make all these arrangements was a need for two days in the following verses.

Verse 41:10 of the Quran says He created mountains as pegs,on it as blessings, and decided on the food to be grown on it , in four days.

The Quran has explained the number of days as six ,taken to create the heavens and earth.

Two days to create the heavens.

Two days to create the earth.

And two days to create all the other arrangements on the earth.

Thus the number of days to create the earth in full is six days, but when mentioning the creation of earth alone is two days, not taking into consideration all the other creations within the planet.

This verse talks only about the creation of the heavens and earth. There is a question by some, whether the creation by God is only the heavens and earth as per this verse, did not He create the rest of the planets?

We find answers to this question in verses 25:59, 32:4, 50:38 of the Quran, that say the sentence ‘creation of the heavens means all those in the intervening space’.

Since all the other planets were not in need of arrangements for human survival the Almighty took two days to create the heavens along with the other planets. 

Some may question the time taken (ie) six days to create the heavens and earth by the Almighty, who is Omnipotent with a single command ‘Be’ and it would come into existence. And they view this as a contradiction..

There is no contradiction.. This can be explained with the help of an example.

Let's take the example of a weightlifter,who can lift 200 kgs in a single attempt.If we say he made eight attempts with twenty five weights would that amount to contradiction. It cannot be termed as a contradiction, he could have lifted all the eight twenty five kg weights totalling to 200 kgs, in a single lift, there is no dispute about it.But it should not be misunderstood as he lifts only 200 kgs weight every time.

.Similarly the Almighty wishes something to ‘Be’ it happens the very same instant. It’s all how He wishes and when He wishes. The Almighty creates whatever, however, whenever, wherever He wishes..There is no contradictions in His words.