"a Day" = a thousand years and fifty thousand years

BismAllah ..

"He directeth the ordinance from the heaven unto the earth; then it ascendeth unto Him in a Day, whereof the measure is a thousand years of that ye reckon."  (32:5)

"A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall
Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,
From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years."   (70:1-4)

Some readers get confused between the verses of the above two Surahs.  They wrongly think the span of one thousand years and fifty thousand years to be a "contradiction."   We will analyze the contents of the above verses to perceive that there's NO contradiction at all.

In Verse 32:5 Allah Almighty tells us that He sends down His Divine regulations and rules to the people of this earth, and then the reports regarding these rules (that is, human reaction or human obedience / disobedience toward these rules) ascend to Him in a Day which according to human calculation would be one thousand years.  Most likely this is a reference to the Ascending Stairways (Al-Maarij), the title of Surah 70.

Next .... by reading verses 1 to 4 of Surah 70, we will know the difference between the two.  Verses 1 to 4 of Surah 70 elucidate that Allah is the Lord and Master of the entire universe and of the Ascending Stairways which reach upto Him at a very high and special place in the heavens where no one is permitted to go except the angels who serve HIM and carry out HIS commandments assigned to them.  The ascension of the angels through the Ascending Stairways is One Day for Allah, but it's equivalent fifty thousand years as per human reckoning.

The difference of the span of time of one thousand years in Verse 32:5 and fifty thousand years in Verse 70:4 can now be understood.  The two different verses refer to two separate aspects of Allah's governance of the universe.

Verse 32:5 speaks of the report or the outcome of Divine regulations reaching Allah or ascending to Allah which is One Day for Him but it's one thousand years for us.  We may presume that these reports are carried back to Allah by the angles but as we can see, Verse 32:5 does not specify about the angels.  After all, Allah can make anything happen.  Allah has appointed the angels to carry out His duties because that's the way He desires to construct HIS Government.  But if HE wants, HE can also implement all HIS commandments without the service of angels, by only saying "Be and it is."

Verse 70:4 states specifically of all angels going to the presence of Allah through the Ascending Stairways to be assigned their duties or to report matters to HIM - only Allah would know the details of these matters.   However, this ascent of the angels through the Ascending Stairways is fifty thousand years as per our calculation but only One Day for Allah.

Therefore, I repeat, Verses 32:5 and 70:4 discuss two separate functions.  Verse 32:5 consists of the function of Allah's regulations or ordinance descending and then ascending back to Him in "a Day" (one thousand years for us).  And Verse 70:4 mentions of the general heavenly functions concerning which the angels ascend to Allah through the Ascending Stairways in "a Day" (fifty thousand years for us).

Similarly, quite surely, in Verse 32:4 the expression "six Days" refers to a very different length of time than six days on earth, the exact duration of which would be known to Allah alone.  

"Allah it is Who created the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them, in six Days. Then He mounted the Throne. Ye have not, beside Him, a protecting friend or mediator. Will ye not then remember ?"

The term "six Days" refers to a duration with regard to the vast universe and heavens, the time calculation of which would be very different from earth.  As soon as we step outside the earth, earthly time is naught.  The earth, compared to the vast expanse Allah refers in the Quran, is only a drop in the ocean or even smaller.