It is obvious that this endless universe, this mighty
handiwork of God, this vast firmament, these gigantic globes are not merely six
or seven thousand years old. They are ancient. The reference in the Torah to
six thousand years has an inner meaning and should not be taken literally. It
is stated that God created the heavens and the earth in six days. If before
such a creation there was no sun, no east and no west, how was it possible to
determine the length of each day without the existence of a sun? Thus the
statement has a different meaning.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha,
December 4, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
