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Good question - here is a previous response to it:

https://www.al-islam.org/ask/does-the-quran-say-anything-to-suggest-that...

If you have any further enquiries, feel free to ask!

Allah Has clearly ordered us in Quran ( Sura 59, Verse 7) to follow the Prophet (SAWA) , and the Prophet (SAWA) never prostrated on carpet but only on the clay or earth and said ( Earth was made for me as a place of prostration and purification) جُعِلَت ليَ الأرضُ مسجدا وَطَهررا)

We Shia, prostrate on the clay (Turba) simply because we follow the Prophet (SAWA).

Wassalam.

Wassalam.

Short answer:

The things that are created in these two ayat are different. 41:10-11 refer to the creation of the earth (ard) and the things upon it, which is done in 4 days, whereas 41:12 refers to the creation of the seven heavens (samawat), which is done in 2 days. So altogether they add up to 6 days.

There are also other ways these ayat are understood, beyond a literal interpretation of "days".

Long answer:

"Day" is usually taken to refer to a time period in general, rather than a "day" in the sense of one rotation of the earth since our measurements of time rest on the physical world, and there was no such thing as an earth-day before the creation of the earth and sun. That said, a narration ascribed to Imam al-Baqir (A), in response to an enquiry about how a "day" could be meaningful before creation, says that time is also measured in an area of existence near Allah, and therefore is not only reliant on the physical world.

Some people maintain that the expression "two days" (or "two periods") refers to spiritual and physical aspects of creation, or that "days" refers to distinctly different stages of creation, rather than timespans.

Some people also understand "four days" with respect to the earth to refer to the four seasons, insofar as they are equal in length and relate to sustenance.

For instance, in Tafsir al-Qummi, "two days" is explained as "the beginning of Creation and its end", and "four days" is explained as "the four times when Allah brings out the world's means of sustenance... spring, summer, autumn, and winter."

If one is taking a numerical approach to "days", however, Qur'an 41:10-41:12 outline the creation of our world as follows:

41:10 - the earth (ard) in 2 days
41:11 - mountains, sustenance, and blessing in 4 days
41:12 - the heavens (samawat) in 2 days

Elsewhere, the Qur'an mentions that the world was created in 6 days.

From this, it can be understood that the 4 days in 41:11 include the 2 days mentioned in 41:10. That is, the earth and its features were, altogether, created in 4 days. Then, the heavens were created in 2 days. Altogether, these sum up as 6 days - or, rather, spans of time.

Insofar as we do not physically have the Qur'anic manuscript compiled by Imam 'Ali, it is not possible to answer this question with the certainty that comes from seeing things with one's own eyes. Rather, it is necessary to rely on historical reports, and the validity of historical reports can be debated.

Anyway, one difference is that it is reported that Imam 'Ali added commentary and explanations to the codex that he compiled, including an explanation of when/why the ayat were revealed (asbab al-nuzul) and also a broader explanation of the ayat.

It is also reported that Imam 'Ali's manuscript was arranged chronologically, in order of the date of revelation, whereas the 'Uthmanic codex is not arranged chronologically.

In any case, we have been told by the Imams to use the codex that we have today as it is, so it is good to have faith that this is what we are meant to be using.

Allah knows best.