Salam,
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ۗ وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِن بَعْدِ الْمَوْتِ لَيَقُولَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed. But if you say, "Indeed, you are resurrected after death," those who disbelieve will surely say, "This is not but obvious magic." (11:7)
Questions:
Are water and God's Throne created or eternal?
It seems that God created the world while on His Throne upon water. This of course entails that His Throne and Water were already there.
The alternative view is that He created His Throne and Water before the heavens and earth.
Note: Commonly, God's Throne is viewed as His knowledge and power. However, in this verse, we must question that common view, since it's "located" upon Water.
So, is this verse referring to a physical Throne?
OR alternatively, water here has a metaphorical meaning? Non-physical water?
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ائْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ
Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, "Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion." They said, "We have come willingly." (41:11)
Questions:
Is the smoke, which formed later into heaven created or eternal?
Clearly it already existed before the creation of the sky.
There was earth and smoke, The smoke was the sky, one sky, السَّمَاءِ
Both, sky and earth, are conscious and have will power. They speak and willingly obeyed God's command.
فَقَضَاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَوْحَىٰ فِي كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ أَمْرَهَا ۚ وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ وَحِفْظًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
And He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. (41:12)
Questions:
God speaks of "Them," right after talking about Earth and Sky. He completed Them as seven skies. Does this imply that Earth is a constituent of the seven skies? If so, then this verse cannot be referring the Earth we're located on.
God inspire ALL SKY (كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ)
He inspires The SKY (singular) after creating the seven skies (Plural). This verse may be referring to the smoke. He inspired the smoke, from which he made the sky (singular) and later completed the seven skies.