Did the creation of first man, Hz. Adam, take part in a certain process, or was he created suddenly?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Various stages took place in the creation of the first man like the creation today.

"He Who has made everything which He has created most Good. He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay." (as-Sajda, 32/7)

The nature of the clay is mentioned in the following verse:

"We created man from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape." (al-Hijr, 15/26)

We understand from those verses that creation started with soil and that it was transformed into mud. This mud was filtered and the essence of mud occurred.

"Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay)." (al-Mu'minun, 23/12)

Then, it is stated that this quintessence of clay, which was transformed into wet clay afterwards, changed in the course of time.

"(Iblis) said: ‘I am not one to prostrate myself to man, whom Thou didst create from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape’." (al-Hijr, 15/33)

Some tafsir scholars state that the decree "We created man from nutfah (sperm)" can also be valid for Hz. Adam. According to them, nutfah was obtained from that mud.  (Elmalılı, V / 3058)

The developments up to this phase are similar to the first period of the fetus today. The sperm is filtered from the food in the stomach; similarly, mud was filtered and quintessence of clay (sulala) was obtained. This quintessence, which remained like that for a while, was transformed into mud molded into shape (hamain masnun) and then into sounding clay. We understand that the mud that dried was given the shape of man after that stage.

"... We created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels prostrate to Adam..." (al-Araf, 7/11)

It is indicated in the chapter of Nuh that both the first man and human beings were created in stages:

"Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages." (Nuh, 71/14).

It can be said that the first man was subject to the laws of growth, development and differentiation seen in plants and animals up to that stage. After that, a new stage started like the one in the fetus. That is, the spirit entered the body since the composition and shaping of man were completed:

"… Then we developed out of it another creature..." (al-Mu`minun, 23/14)

"When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him." (Sad, 38/72)

We can deal with the creation of man according to the Quran in two parts: the creation of Hz. Adam and the creation of the baby in the mother’s womb. The creation of Adam was different from other human beings but his creation also took place in a process.

The verses of the Quran about the creation of Hz. Adam are as follows:

"Behold thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." (al-Baqara, 2/30)

"We created man from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape." (al-Hijr, 15/26)

"He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like unto pottery." (ar-Rahman, 55/14)

"Just ask their opinion: are they the more difficult to create, or the (other) beings We have created? Them have We created out of a sticky clay!" (as-Saaffat, 37/11)

"He Who has made everything which He has created most Good. He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay." (as-Sajda, 32/7)

"He it is who created you from clay, and then decreed a stated term (for you)." (al-Anam, 6/2)

"From the (earth) did We create you." (Taha, 20/55)

"Among His Signs is this that He created you from dust; and then Behold ye are men scattered (far and wide)." (ar-Rum, 30/20)

If the verses above are summarized, we can say, "Adam was created out of clay." (al-Isra 61, al-Araf 12, Sad 76,as- Sajda 7),

"Them have We created out of a sticky clay." (as-Saaffat, 37/11)

"Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay)." (al-Mu'minun, 23/12)

" We created man from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape." (al-Hijr, 15/26; ar-Rahman, 55/14). 

Adam (a being that came from the earth) edim (earth, land) is derived from a Hebrew word. It is stated that Adam was created out of clay; that is, a mixture of land and water; to express it clearly, from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape; he was given life after divine spirit was blown into it:

"He Who has made everything which He has created most Good. He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay." (as-Sajda, 32/7)

"But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding)." (as-Sajda)

Elmalılı Hamdi states in his tafsir book that Hz. Adam was created from an essence from clay, that is, from an essence extracted from clay through selection, that he was created virtually like the creation of man in the uterus from a nutfah; thus, he was created from the essence like nutfah extracted from clay; then, spirit was given to him; Hz. Adam was created like that.

Fakhruddin Razi emphasizes in his Tafsir al-Kabir that Hz. Adam was created from an essence chosen from clay.

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