Seven nights and eight grueling days (Q. ٦٩:٧).
Or it may apply to nighttime and the following daylight, as in Gods saying:

"And We promised Moses forty nights" (Q. ٢:٥١).

The use of the words "night" and "day" in these two senses is frequent. Indeed, the two words have been used in those two noble verses [Q. ٦٩:٧ and ٢:٥١] in the second sense of daylight and nighttime combined. As such, there is no inconsistency. The suspicion of inconsistency is based on the words "day" and "night" as they are used in the first sense. What we have explained is clear, without any ambiguity in it. However, the person who raises this suspicion deliberately overlooks the truth in order to detract from the prestige of the Quran. Moreover, he is oblivious to, or perhaps deliberately overlooks, the obvious contradiction in the New Testament when it uses these two words. For, chapter ١٢ of Matthew reports that Christ said that he shall remain buried in the earth for three days or three nights. Yet both Matthew and the other three gospels are in agreement that Christ did not remain buried except from just before sunset on Friday, through the night of Friday, the daylight of Saturday, and the night of Saturday, till before the dawn of Sunday. Look at the variations in the gospels, and then say to the author of the Gospel of Matthew and to all those who believe that is a divine revelation: How do the three days and three nights add up? And, it is indeed strange that Western scholars and intellectuals believe in the two Testaments, which are so replete with myths and contradictions, and not in the Quran, which is the Book committed to the guidance of humanity, and to leading them to‌ ward their happiness in this and the next world. However, prejudice is an incurable disease, and the seekers of truth are few, as we have pointed out earlier.
The second Quranic inconsistency noted is that the Quran sometimes attributes an act to the decision of the creature. Thus, it says:

Thus, the one who wishes will believe and the one who wishes will disbelieve (Q. ١٨:٢٩).

There are many other verses that say this, and they establish that the human being is free in his actions. However, the Quran at times also attributes the decision regard‌ ing actions to God, the Exalted. Thus, it says:

You do not will except what God wills (Q. ٧٦:٣٠).

Accordingly, they [these critics] assert that this last verse indicates that human beings are coerced in their actions. Thus, they maintain that this is an evident contra‌ diction, and that the interpretation of the verses is against their general sense, an opinion without proof.
The response is that each human being is able to perceive, through his innate dis‌ position, that he is capable of a number of actions. Thus, it is possible for him to perform or not perform them. This is an instinctive judgment that no one can doubt except if the doubt is introduced from without. All rational persons are unanimous in censuring evildoers and praising the good. This is one proof that human beings are free in their actions, and not compelled when they perform them. Every rational person can observe that his movement when he walks on the ground is different from that when he falls from a high place to the ground. Thus, he will observe that he is free in the former case and coerced in the latter. Moreover, every rational person is