“Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity” [Al-Suddi said: Or did they not know?]. Al-Hasan said: It means, sticking one upon the other. “And We separated them,” meaning: He placed the earth and raised the heaven.
Muhammad said: His saying “They were a joined entity,” because the heavens are expressed as heaven in the singular form, and likewise the earth. The meaning of (ratqan), i.e., one single thing.
﴿أَو لم يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْض كَانَتَا رتقا﴾ [قَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: أَوْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ] قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: يَعْنِي: مُلْتَزِقَتَيْنِ إِحْدَاهُمَا على الْأُخْرَى ﴿ففتقناهما﴾ يَقُولُ: فَوَضَعَ الْأَرْضَ، وَرَفَعَ السَّمَاءَ.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: قَوْلُهُ: ﴿كَانَتَا رَتْقًا﴾ لِأَنَّ السَّمَوَاتِ يُعَبَّرُ عَنْهَا بِالسَّمَاءِ بِلَفْظِ الْوَاحِدِ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْأَرْضُ، وَمَعْنَى (رتقا) أَيْ: شَيْئًا وَاحِدًا
